Over 17 Artisanal Miners Arrested In Cross River National Park

The Cross River National Park has arrested 17 artisanal miners accused of encroaching on protected areas of the park in Etung Local Government Area of Cross River State.The miners, said to be from Ekuri Eyenyen and Etara communities, were arrested by the park’s Special Anti-Poaching Squad following intelligence on mining activities within the protected area.The Conservator of Parks, CP Joseph Ntui, said mining, hunting, logging, farming and other activities are prohibited inside the national park.He warned that illegal mining in the area was already affecting surrounding communities, particularly through land degradation and pollution of streams area and farmlands.According to him, residents around Etara and Ekuri Eyenyen were increasingly struggling to access clean drinking water because of the pollution allegedly caused by mining activities.However, the biggest controversy from the incident is not just the arrest of the miners, but the question of how mining operations reportedly found their way into a protected national park.The Conservator alleged that mining licences were being issued for areas within the national park by the Mining Cadastre Office in Abuja and the Federal Mines Office in Calabar.The Cross River State Commissioner for Mineral Resources, Effiom-Ekaha Otu, confirmed that the ministry was aware of B4LIVE Integrated Services, a company linked to Ekpo Mbang Eno, which reportedly obtained a Federal Government mining licence.The Commissioner, however, said the licence could have overlapped into a reserved area, warning against quickly describing the miner as illegal if the government-approved licence actually covered the disputed location.Federal Mines officials also acknowledged that such overlaps were not uncommon.Meanwhile, Eno denied knowing that the area was a restricted zone and said he obtained the necessary documents and community consent before commencing operations.

He also denied hiring the 17 miners allegedly arrested by the park authorities.The development has therefore raised serious questions about the process of issuing mining licences and the ability of government agencies to properly map and protect Cross River’s environmentally sensitive areas.The arrested miners are expected to face court proceedings.Beyond the arrests, the incident has renewed calls for proper coordination between the National Park authorities, the Mining Cadastre Office, Federal Mines Office and state authorities to prevent mining licences from overlapping protected areas.— Boki Blog Africa