Residents of New Ekuri Community in Akamkpa Local Government Area of Cross River State have raised the alarm over alleged illegal logging activities in their community forest, warning that the situation could threaten peace if not urgently addressed by authorities.

At a press briefing on Thursday in Calabar, the community, led by Dr. Martins Egot, Executive Director of the Panacea for Developmental and Infrastructural Challenges for Africa Initiative (PADIC-Africa), accused Ezemac International Limited, owned by Mr. Ezenwa Igwe, of unlawfully entering and harvesting timber from the New Ekuri Community Forest without consent.

Dr. Egot, speaking on behalf of the people and traditional leadership of New Ekuri, said the forest is a community-owned asset protected under customary law and recognised community forestry frameworks, and stressed that no company has the right to operate there without the community’s free, prior and informed consent.

He described New Ekuri as a globally recognised model of community-led forest conservation, noting that the people have voluntarily preserved over 33,600 hectares of rainforest for decades, rejecting large-scale commercial logging in favour of sustainable forest management.

According to him, trouble began on January 12, 2026, when community youths conducting routine road maintenance heard heavy machinery operating deep within the forest. On investigation, they allegedly found two bulldozers, an excavator and four trucks actively felling and removing timber.

“The youths acted peacefully. No worker was assaulted, and no equipment was vandalised. They merely demanded that operations stop and that the ignition keys and batteries be handed over pending dialogue,” Egot said.

He explained that the items were later taken to the Apiapum Police Station for safekeeping.

However, the situation reportedly escalated when Ezemac petitioned the police, alleging that the community leader mobilised youths to attack workers and vandalise equipment. Based on the petition, Dr. Egot was arrested and detained by the Zone 6 Police Command on January 13, despite claims that he was resident in Calabar and not present in the village at the time of the incident.

The community expressed concern that while investigations were still ongoing, the seized items were released to the company, which allegedly returned to the forest to resume operations.

“This undermined due process and emboldened impunity,” Egot said, adding that it took the intervention of community leaders to restrain angry youths from confronting the company, an action he said could have resulted in violence.

The community further alleged that the company’s operations had caused extensive ecological damage, including the destruction of smaller trees and forest corridors, noting that the economic and environmental losses were difficult to quantify.

They also questioned the role of the Cross River State Forestry Commission, demanding clarity on whether any permit was issued to the company, the size and species approved for harvesting, and the royalties payable to the host community.

The community disclosed that it had submitted petitions to relevant state and federal authorities and confirmed receipt of an invitation from the Cross River State House of Assembly to appear before it on Tuesday, January 27, 2026, to address the matter.

In their demands, the people of New Ekuri called for the immediate removal of all Ezemac equipment from their forest, a transparent investigation into the legality of the company’s operations, an independent assessment of environmental damage, and protection of community leaders and youths from harassment.

Also speaking at the briefing, the Director and State Coordinator of the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA), Raymond Anunobi, assured the community of the agency’s commitment to environmental protection.

Anunobi said NESREA would carry out its mandatory investigations and urged communities to promptly report environmental infractions, stressing that collaboration with regulatory agencies would help prevent unnecessary intimidation by law enforcement

However, in a telephone interview responding to the allegations, the Managing Director of Ezemac International, Igwe, denied any wrongdoing, insisting that his company operates legally with valid permits issued by the Cross River State Forestry Commission. He said the state’s logging ban had been lifted and that Ezemac had met all regulatory requirements to operate.

He further maintained that Ezemac has agreements with the New Ekuri community and that some community members are employed by the company or supply timber to it. He described the allegations as unfounded and urged the public to verify his company’s documentation with the Forestry Commission.