By Olusegun Olanrewaju
Amid a row of incidents of threats and intimidations, the indigenes of the Ekuri community in Cross River State have petitioned the Minister of the Environment as well as the international community, especially the United Nations system over an alleged plan by a local company to despoil their land through illegal logging which has been taking place without their consent.
In an open letter entitled ‘Open Letter from Indigenous Peoples and Civil Society Organisations Re: Concerns Over Attacks on Indigenous Communities and Deforestation of the Ekuri Forest, Nigeria’ by the indigenous peoples and civil society organisations to the Minister of Environment, Mohammed Abdullahi, expressing concerns over attacks, they said as representatives from indigenous peoples, the civil society, scientific agencies, as well as community-based organisations around the world, they were writing to regarding the ongoing harassment, criminalisation, human rights abuses, and deforestation in the Ekuri forest in Nigeria.
It was copied to Ezemac International Company Ltd; the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Situation of Human Rights Defenders, Mary Lawlor; United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples; United Nations Working Group on Business and Human Rights, Francisco Cali Tzay, the UN Special Rapporteur on Environmental Defenders (Aarhus Convention), Michel Forst, the Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders and Focal Point for Reprisals in Africa of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights, Rémy Ngoy Lumbu.
The object of contention is a parcel of forest in which the company, Ezemac International Company Ltd, a Nigerian logging firm, on April 15, 2023, allegedly brought 30 army personnel and policemen to the indigenous Ekuri community, and during the operation, the security forces advanced towards the village on motorbikes and opened fire indiscriminately, creating fear and confusion, as well as forcing the villagers to flee to safety. Fortunately, nobody was injured.
The community also alleged that 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 that deployed bulldozers and logging equipment into the forest without the consent of the Ekuri community.”
They added, “The Ekuri community Eco-Guards, whose role it is to patrol, document, and denounce illegal logging in Ekuri community protected forests, observed the company illegally harvesting timber and decided to intercept two logging trucks, seizing the keys and handing them over to the Ekuri community.
“The Ezemac company representatives subsequently visited the Ekuri community to seek forgiveness. In recognition of the value of the timber already cut, and as a warning against any future encroachment, the company was asked to pay a fine, which it did. The trucks’ keys were handed over on the agreement that the company leaves the protected area.”
According to the indigenes in the letter signed on their behalf by 28 environmental groups and individuals, further averred that “Rather than honouring this agreement, the company opened new logging routes and began deforesting more massively and destructively.
“On February 20, 2023, the company logged an estimated 5,000 trees, the timber being removed before the community eco-guards caught up with them and managed to remove batteries from the bulldozers.
“Community members have since faced an escalation of reprisals from the company due to their legitimate, non-violent work protecting their territory from the illegal loggers, culminating in the incident on the 15th of April where the military and police came into their territory, firing their guns alongside the company who threatened to criminalise community members.
“Given the serious ongoing human rights and environmental harms, the organisations signed below 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 can carry out their legitimate human rights activities protecting their customary lands and resources without any hindrance or fear of reprisal.”
The community, therefore, appealed to the Federal Government to conduct an investigation into the actions taken against the environmental human rights defenders and to sanction those involved.
They also called on the authorities to ensure the non-repetition of these actions, as well as ensure an effective remedy for the affected communities and their defenders.
The Ekuri community called for a guarantee of the indigenous peoples’ right to Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC) concerning any proposed activity by external actors on their customary lands.
They want the federal authorities to ensure the immediate withdrawal of the company from the Ekuri forest to sustain climate change mitigation and livelihood efforts of the Ekuri community in line with the SDGs.
