Tension continues to simmer in New Ekuri community, Akamkpa Local Government Area of Cross River State, following a face-off between youths and a private logging firm accused of operating in the community forest without authorisation.
The unease was triggered on January 12 when youths of the area seized ignition keys and batteries from heavy-duty logging machines allegedly deployed into the forest by Ezemac, a private company. The community claimed the firm moved deep into the forest and began felling rare tree species without obtaining consent from either the government or traditional authorities.
Residents said the youths, despite encountering armed soldiers providing security for the operation, acted with restraint to avoid a breakdown of law and order. No equipment was vandalised and no worker was assaulted. Instead, the youths reportedly demanded an immediate suspension of logging activities and insisted that machine operators hand over the keys and batteries pending dialogue.
The seized items were later deposited at the palace of the traditional ruler of New Ekuri, a move intended to signal peaceful resistance rather than confrontation.
However, tensions escalated when the company’s head, Mr Ezenwa Igwe, allegedly petitioned the police, leading to the arrest and detention of a prominent community leader, Dr Martins Egot, in Calabar.
A youth leader, Mr Dennis Ntui, alleged that the Assistant Inspector General of Police, Zone 6, ordered Dr Egot’s arrest and detention for several days. He said the action deepened mistrust and heightened fears of official bias.
According to Ntui, while investigations were still ongoing, the seized items were released and the company quietly returned to the forest.
“That development is a dangerous provocation capable of triggering violence,” he said. “The continued presence of Ezemac in our forest is a direct threat to peace, environmental sustainability and community rights.”
Community sources disclosed that it took the intervention of elders and opinion leaders to restrain angry youths from confronting the company, a situation observers warned could have resulted in casualties if left unchecked.
Addressing journalists after his release, Dr Egot, who spoke on behalf of the community, demanded the immediate withdrawal of all Ezemac equipment from the New Ekuri Community Forest. He called for a transparent investigation into the legality of the firm’s operations and an independent assessment of environmental damage already done.
He accused authorities of criminalising community-led conservation efforts while failing to demand proof of authorisation from the logging firm.
“For decades, New Ekuri has protected this forest through community-based forest management, working with conservation partners under initiatives such as the Ekuri Initiative,” Egot said. “We deliberately chose conservation over exploitation and peace over violence. We will defend our forest lawfully and transparently.”
He maintained that checks with the Cross River State Forestry Commission and other relevant agencies showed that Ezemac had no formal approval to operate within the community forest. He further claimed that during a meeting with the AIG, the company was unable to present valid documents when requested.
Reacting to the controversy, the State Coordinator of the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA), Comrade Raymond Anunobi, said the agency had commenced an independent investigation into the matter.
“Even though the ban on logging has been lifted, the ban on the exportation of forest products, including timber, is still in force,” Anunobi said, stressing that all operators must act strictly within the law.
In his response, Mr Igwe denied allegations of illegal logging, insisting that his operations were duly authorised. He said he possessed permits, receipts of payments to government agencies, agreements with the Ekuri community and evidence of tax compliance.
“I have over 180 workers across Cross River State. I operate a standard factory and process my wood locally,” he said. “If what I am doing is illegal, the Forestry Commission would not issue me documents, and I would not have government backing.”
He also claimed the community benefited from his operations through employment opportunities and material support, adding that he once purchased a cow at the community’s request.
As of press time, official documents publicly authorising Ezemac’s operations within the New Ekuri Community Forest had not been produced, leaving critical questions unanswered and tensions unresolved in the forest-rich community.
