A wave of illegal mining across the Central and Southern Senatorial Districts of Cross River State has spiraled into a full-blown security emergency, leaving communities on edge and prompting a major crackdown by state authorities.
The Chairman of the Cross River State Anti-Illegal Mining Taskforce Committee, Prince Paul Effiong, confirmed that the crisis has claimed lives and destroyed property. He cited the killing of a woman on her farm in Obubra and the burning of a milling factory in Ikom as grim examples of the escalating violence tied to illegal mining operations.
Effiong, speaking while announcing the launch of Operation No Mercy, said the coordinated security campaign will target illegal miners, their sponsors, and collaborators across affected communities. The operation, he explained, will be executed in partnership with security agencies to restore peace and protect lives.
“We will pursue them relentlessly until peace returns,” he vowed, stressing that the taskforce had repeatedly warned of the looming crisis but was ignored. “We alerted the public and authorities about the dangers, but our calls fell on deaf ears,” he added.
Effiong maintained that the government would no longer tolerate criminal networks fueling insecurity through illegal mining, describing the act as both an economic sabotage and a threat to public safety.
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“We are committed to protecting our people. Those responsible for these crimes will face justice. Anyone found sponsoring or harbouring them will be held accountable. No one is above the law,” he warned.
He appealed to traditional rulers, youth leaders, and residents to work with the taskforce to reclaim their communities and safeguard the state’s mineral wealth from exploitation.
The Cross River Government has faced growing pressure to curb illegal mining, which has spread rapidly in recent months, fuelling violence, land disputes, and environmental degradation. With Operation No Mercy now underway, authorities say the state is entering a decisive phase in its fight against criminal mining activities.
