Cross River: 33,600 hectares of Ekuri forest under severe threats — CSOs

An estimated 33,600 hectares of forest cover from Cross River State is facing severe threats of destruction by the activities of illegal loggers, who are also alleged to be involved in human rights violations in the Ekuri community.

This was disclosed by representatives from Indigenous Peoples, civil society, scientific agencies, and community-based organizations in Calabar in a letter to Mr Mohammed Hassan Abdullahi, Nigeria’s Minister of Environment, Mary Lawlor, United Nations Special Rapporteur on the situation of Human Rights Defenders and some major United Nations Organizations regarding ongoing harassment, criminalisation, human rights abuses, and deforestation in the Ekuri.

The African Law Foundation (AFRILAW) along with 27 other Non-governmental organizations have decried the alleged human rights violations that erupted in the Ekuri Community of Akamkpa local government area where “On the 15th of April 2023, the Ezemac International Company Ltd’, a Nigerian logging company allegedly brought 30 army personnel and policemen to the indigenous Ekuri community”.

According to AFRILAW, “During the operation, the security forces advanced towards the village on motorbikes and opened fire indiscriminately creating fear and confusion and forcing the villagers to flee to safety. Fortunately, nobody was injured.”

Located in Nigeria’s Cross River State, the Indigenous Ekuri community is made up of 6,200 indigenous Nkokoli peoples, who manage a 33,600-hectare community tropical rainforest. The Akamkpa local government area indigenous Ekuri community’s self-determined efforts to conserve and sustainably manage their forest were recognised by UNDP with the Equator Prize in 2004.

However, the CSOs and NGOs have risen to the occasion in an attempt to stop the activities of illegal cutting of timber from the area: Since January this year, the Ekuri forest has faced unprecedented logging.

The conservation efforts of the Ekuri community and their peaceful resistance to illegal deforestation have earned them the wrath of the ‘Ezemac International Company Limited’ a Nigerian logging company who according to the organisations “deployed bulldozers and logging equipment into the forest without consent of the Ekuri community”.

Given the serious ongoing human rights and environmental issues, the organisations call on the authorities in Nigeria to put an end to any acts of harassment including at the judicial level and to ensure that the Ekuri community are able to carry out their legitimate human rights activities protecting their customary lands and resources without any hindrance or fear of reprisal.

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