The Renevlyn Development Initiative (RDI) has criticised the Cross River State Government for failing to enforce the ban on illegal logging activities rampant in Ekuri, Ikom and other forest communities in the state, cautioning that the government inaction may send signals of “complicity” by some highly placed persons in government.
RDI said that the position is informed by its findings after a visit to the affected communities following a renewed Save-Our-Soul from the locals in Old and New Ekuri on the unchecked illegal logging activities. The same scenario is playing out in nearby Ikom, added the group.
Ekuri Forest is 33,600 hectares of pristine forest situated north-west of the Cross River National Park and Oban Hills and to the north of the Ukpon River Forest Reserve. On the North-east of the Ekuri forest sits the Okokori and Etara /Eyeyeng community forest, and to its west, the Iko Esai community forest.
Unlicensed logging activities have depleted timber, African mahogany and other exotic trees with negative impact on the apes and forest elephant population that have steadily dwindled as they flee to safe haven. The unique vegetables and fruits indigenous to the forest including the bush mango are now hard to come by.
The dire situation in Ekuri was captured in the Global Witness 2025 Annual Defenders Report released in September 2025. The report is dedicated to individuals, communities and organisations bravely speaking out or taking action to defend their rights to their land and resources globally.
RDI Executive Director, Philip Jakpor, said: “It is utterly reprehensible that while the global community has taken note of the plight of the Ekuri and other forest communities in relation to the ongoing plundering of the forest resources in their environs, the Cross River State government has refused to enforce its own ban on illegal logging.”
Jakpor explained that Ekuri forest was once a model of community-led conservation, but it has steadily lost about 20 percent of its original forest cover as its wildlife and plant species continue to be negatively affected by destructive activities of the logging merchants.
The RDI boss noted that the locals thought that their defeat of the White Elephant Super Highway project conceived by the Ben Ayade administration in 2016 was the end of their travails but have become more disillusioned as the opening of the forest which was part of that botched project actually paved the way for unlicensed loggers to come in.
“We would not be wrong if we conclude that the unlicensed logging firms that have invaded the forests must have state backing or the backing of some highly placed individuals judging by the impunity with which they act. Some people somewhere must definitely be benefitting from the pain that the locals are experiencing.”
He said that the plight of the locals is further worsened by the total absence of government presence in the affected communities where the RDI team noticed very treacherous roads and no connection to the electricity grid.
Jakpor said that the situation in the forest communities is no longer tolerable.
“The Cross River government must exonerate itself by matching words with action. We are demanding an immediate halt to the unlicensed logging activities in Ekuri and Ikom and the arrest and prosecution of unlicensed logging firms and their enablers operating like tin gods in the forest. The inaction of the state government on this subject is no longer golden,” Jakpor insisted.