Park Rangers arrest 17 miners in Cross River over alleged illegal mining

The Special Anti-Poaching Squad of the Cross River National Park has arrested 17 suspected amerciable miners operating successful Ekuri Eyenyen and Etara communities successful Etung Local Government Area.

The arrests followed actionable quality connected mining activities wrong the protected area, according to the Conservator of Parks, CP Joseph Ntui Assam.

Assam said mining, hunting, logging, workplace encroachment and h2o poisoning were prohibited wrong the National Park, informing that the activities posed security, biology and nationalist wellness risks.

He said amerciable mining had contributed to onshore degradation and contamination of streams and farmlands astir Etara and Ekuri Eyenyen, leaving residents with constricted entree to harmless sources of drinking water.

The conservator raised concerns implicit the alleged issuance of mining licences covering areas wrong oregon astir the protected forest.

He said immoderate licences issued by the Mining Cadastre Office successful Abuja and the Federal Mines Office successful Calabar had allegedly overlapped with areas reserved nether the National Park, describing the concern as...