Seventeen artisan miners have been arrested for allegedly encroaching on protected sections of the Cross River National Park, intensifying a long-running clash between conservation authorities and mining interests in one of Nigeria’s most fragile ecosystems.
The suspects, said to be from Ekuri Eyenyen and Etara communities in Etung Local Government Area, were apprehended by the park’s Special Anti-Poaching Squad during an operation based on what officials described as actionable intelligence.
Conservator of Parks, CP Joseph Ntui, told journalists that the park is a strictly prohibited zone for extractive activities, warning that mining, hunting, logging, farm expansion and water poisoning are outlawed within its boundaries under national legislation.
Ntui linked the miners’ activities to severe environmental and public health impacts, noting that streams and farmlands around Etara and Ekuri Eyenyen have been polluted, leaving residents with dwindling access to safe drinking water and arable land.
He further alleged that mining licences were being issued for operations inside the park by the Mining Cadastre Office in Abuja and the Federal Mines Office in Calabar, in defiance of the National Park Service Act and provisions of the Nigeria Minerals and Mining Act 2007 and its 2011 regulations.
According to Ntui, preliminary statements from the arrested miners indicated they were hired by Ekpo Mbang Eno, identified as a member of the Cross River State Anti-Illegal Mining Committee. He said the suspects would be charged in court after investigations.
Commissioner for Mineral Resources, Effiom-Ekaha Otu, confirmed that the ministry was aware of B4Live Integrated Services, a company registered by Eno and licensed by the Federal Government, but suggested that the firm’s lease might overlap into reserved areas.
Otu argued that such overlaps complicate enforcement, insisting that the Mining Cadastre Office should be held accountable where licences extend into protected zones. He maintained that miners are expected to flag such conflicts once detected.
Federal Mines Officer in Cross River, Ayelabola Olubunmi, acknowledged that overlaps between mining leases and protected areas are not uncommon and said the park had previously reported similar cases.
Eno, for his part, insisted he was properly licensed and unaware that his site fell within a restricted zone. He called for clearer demarcation of protected areas and denied hiring the 17 arrested miners, claiming he employed 40 miners and 10 supervisors, while rangers reportedly met 67 people on site.
Stakeholders and investors have urged federal mining authorities to improve mapping and due diligence, warning that poorly defined cadastral units, each roughly the size of 20 football pitches, make it difficult for operators to know when their leases spill into communities, states or protected areas.
