Operatives of the Special Anti-Poaching Squad of the Cross River National Park have arrested 17 suspected illegal miners allegedly operating within the protected forest in Ekuri Eyenyen and Etara communities, Etung Local Government Area of Cross River State.
The arrests followed actionable intelligence received by the park authorities regarding alleged mining activities within the national park.
The Conservator of Parks, CP Joseph Ntui Assam, said mining, hunting, logging, farm encroachment and water poisoning are prohibited within the protected area.
According to him, such activities pose serious environmental, security and public health risks, particularly to communities surrounding the park.
Assam said illegal mining has contributed to land degradation and the pollution of streams and farmlands around Etara and Ekuri Eyenyen, leaving residents with reduced access to safe drinking water.
The development has also raised concerns over the issuance of mining licences in areas allegedly overlapping with portions of the protected forest.
The Cross River State Commissioner for Mineral Resources, Effiom-Ekaha Otu, confirmed that B4Live Integrated Services, linked to mining activities in the area, was known to the state ministry and had obtained a federal mining licence.
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However, Otu noted that the licence may have overlapped with a reserved area, stressing that the matter would require clarification from the Mining Cadastre Office.
Checks by authorities reportedly showed that B4Live Integrated Services had obtained a small-scale mining lease covering two cadastral units in Ekuri, Etung LGA.
The Federal Mines Officer in Cross River, Engr. Ayelabola Olubunmi, also acknowledged that overlaps between mining licences and protected areas could occur, noting that the National Park had previously raised concerns over similar situations.
Meanwhile, Ekpo Mbang Eno, who is linked to B4Live Integrated Services, denied employing the 17 arrested miners to operate illegally inside the park.
Eno said he had engaged 40 miners and 10 supervisors after securing the necessary approvals and community consent. He also claimed he was unaware that the licensed mining area extended into a restricted zone.
He called on relevant authorities to properly demarcate protected areas to prevent conflicts between licensed mining operators and conservation authorities.
The controversy has renewed concerns over illegal mining, environmental degradation and possible regulatory lapses in the issuance and verification of mining licences in Cross River State.
Stakeholders have consequently called for clearer demarcation of protected areas and proper verification of mining boundaries before licences are approved.
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