Some traditional leaders in Cross River State are said to be demanding cows and huge cash payments from mining companies before granting access to explore for gold and other minerals in their domains.
Findings indicated that the practice has quietly persisted in several communities across the state for some time.
In Mkpot community, Etung Local Government Area, it was alleged that elders and chiefs demanded that each of the three companies interested in excavating gold should provide one cow and ₦5 million as sacrificial offerings to appease the gods of the land before commencing operations.
Community sources said the elders took the decision partly to deter the rising number of illegal miners who have continued to scavenge the area in search of mineral deposits.
However, apprehension reportedly grew among residents over the influx of strangers into the community despite the heavy financial and cultural conditions imposed. The elders later ordered the firms to vacate the area.
Illegal gold mining is also said to be taking place in parts of Obubra and Akamkpa Local Government Areas of the state.
Efforts to obtain comments from the Chairman of Etung LGA, Hon. Henry Njar, and the Chairman of the Cross River State Task Force on Illegal Mining, Paul Effiong, were unsuccessful, as calls and text messages sent to them were not responded to.
A traditional ruler in the state and former presidential aide, Obol Okoi Obono-Obla, urged Governor Bassey Otu to initiate aerial mapping and surveying of mineral-rich areas to stem the tide of illegal mining.
He noted that while mining falls under the exclusive jurisdiction of the federal government, the land on which minerals are found belongs to the states.
“The Land Use Act of 1978 places the trusteeship and custodianship of all land within a state in the hands of the governor,” Obono-Obla said, adding that any licensed mining company must also possess the appropriate right of occupancy granted by the state.