The Special Anti-Poaching Squad of the Cross River National Park has arrested 17 suspected artisan miners accused of operating within protected areas of the national park in Etung Local Government Area of Cross River State.
The suspects were arrested in the Ekuri Eyenyen and Etara communities following actionable intelligence received by park authorities about mining activities allegedly taking place inside the protected area. The development was disclosed by the Conservator of Parks, CP Joseph Ntui, in Calabar on Tuesday.
According to Ntui, activities such as mining, hunting, logging, farm encroachment and water poisoning are prohibited within the national park because of their potential impact on the environment and surrounding communities.
He expressed concern over the environmental consequences of mining activities in the affected areas, particularly the pollution of streams and agricultural land.
The conservator said the situation had affected residents' access to clean water, noting that several streams around Etara and Ekuri Eyenyen had reportedly become polluted as a result of mining operations. He warned that the activities posed serious risks to the environment, public health, security and the local economy.
Ntui also raised concerns over the alleged issuance of mining licences covering areas within or overlapping protected sections of the national park.
He specifically questioned the activities of the Mining Cadastre Office in Abuja and the Federal Mines Office in Calabar, alleging that licences had been issued for mining operations in areas that are supposed to be protected under the National Park Service Act.
According to him, such overlaps create serious regulatory and environmental problems because mining activities within a national park are prohibited.
“This is totally unacceptable because it not only contravenes the provisions of the National Park Service Act, it also violates Section 3, subsection 2 of the Nigeria Minerals and Mining Act 2007 and its Regulation of 2011,” he said.
The arrests have also brought attention to the activities of B4Live Integrated Services, a company registered by Ekpo Mbang Eno. Preliminary information from the Federal Mines Office showed that the company had been granted a small-scale mining lease covering two cadastral units in Ekuri, Etung Local Government Area.
The Cross River State Commissioner for Mineral Resources, Effiom-Ekaha Otu, confirmed that the state government was aware of the company and its federal mining licence.
However, Otu said there was a possibility that the company's licensed area overlapped with a reserved section of the national park. He argued that if such an overlap occurred, the issue should be properly investigated rather than immediately labelling the licence holder an illegal miner.
The commissioner said the Federal Government's Mining Cadastre Office should be held accountable for any failure to properly identify protected areas before granting mining licences.
The Federal Mines Officer in Cross River, Ayelabola Olubunmi, also acknowledged that overlaps between mining licences and reserved areas could occur. He said the National Park had raised similar concerns in the past.
The dispute has therefore raised questions about how mining licences are mapped and approved in Nigeria, particularly in areas close to forests, national parks and other environmentally sensitive locations.
Eno, the individual linked to B4Live Integrated Services, has denied knowingly operating illegally inside the national park. He said he obtained the necessary documents and approvals before commencing operations and was unaware that the licensed area extended into a restricted zone.
He also denied hiring the 17 miners who were arrested by the park authorities. According to him, he employed 40 miners and 10 supervisors for the operation.
Eno argued that the authorities should properly demarcate protected areas to prevent legitimate operators from unknowingly crossing into restricted zones.
He said he had made efforts to comply with applicable regulations and had obtained the consent of local communities where he intended to operate.
The case has consequently developed into more than an enforcement operation, with the arrests exposing a wider disagreement over mining licences, protected boundaries and the responsibilities of government agencies involved in natural-resource regulation.
The National Park authorities maintain that mining is prohibited within the protected area, while the mining operator insists that he obtained a valid federal licence and was unaware of any overlap.
Stakeholders have now called for greater coordination between the Mining Cadastre Office, Federal Mines Office and National Park Service before mining licences are issued in areas close to protected forests.
They have also urged authorities to conduct proper mapping and due diligence to prevent similar disputes between licensed miners and environmental protection agencies.
The environmental implications of the controversy are particularly significant for communities around Etara and Ekuri Eyenyen, where residents depend heavily on local streams and agricultural land for their daily needs.
Authorities have warned that continued mining and other forms of encroachment could worsen land degradation, contaminate water sources and threaten the long-term sustainability of the affected communities.
The 17 arrested miners are expected to face further investigation and possible prosecution over the alleged encroachment, while the dispute over the mining licence and the boundaries of the protected area is likely to attract further scrutiny from the relevant government agencies.
The incident has once again highlighted the challenge of balancing Nigeria's mineral resources with the need to protect forests, wildlife and the communities that depend on natural ecosystems.
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