The Ekuri Community in Akamkpa Local Government Area of Cross River State is demanding N500 million in compensation from Ezemac International Nigeria Limited for illegal logging in the Ekuri forest, a Community Conserved Area (CCA) in the area.
The community has also requested that the company ceases logging activities in the forest and withdraws from the area immediately.
Edwin Ogar, the Programme Coordinator of the Worthy Association for Tackling Environmental Ruins (WATER), who has power of attorney from the Ekuri Community to conserve and manage the community forest for the livelihood and improvement of Ekuri villagers, disclosed this on Sunday, April 16, 2023.
Ogar expressed that the community was no longer comfortable with the activities of the company and is seeking urgent international intervention as their forest was under threat of extinction.
The Ekuri forest is a protected area and has equal status as the national protected areas or forests in Nigeria registered under the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the World Conservation Monitoring Centre (WCMC).
According to Ogar, the community has been conserving the forest for years, but the company destroyed a portion of it without permission. The community is seeking compensation for the illegal entry and destruction of a swathe of Ekuri forest, including timber, understory, poles, non-timber forest products, medicinal plants, cultural heritage, watersheds, and animal habitats.
Ogar reported that the Ekuri forest guards discovered the destruction of the forest by the company, and when they intercepted two timber trucks coming to evacuate the wood inside the forest, they seized the keys and brought them home. He also noted that the company pleaded for mercy, claiming they were ignorant of the Ekuri boundary, and agreed to pay a fine.
In response, Mr. Ezenwa Igwe, the Chief Executive Officer of Ezemac International Nigeria Limited, stated that he was called to open a road for the community, and his people mistakenly entered their forest and felled 112 trees.
He said that they entered into a peace talk, and the community requested cleansing and payment of N580,000. He added that the community asked him to pay for 100 trees and any additional trees and entered into an agreement for the money.
However, after two days, he was asked to stop work because he had encroached into the Ekuri forest, and the Ekuri community people removed the batteries of his caterpillars, causing damage. He expressed that they have stopped his workers from working for four months, and he has been paying N300,000 every day for the machines, which unfortunately is causing his business to fail.
