Mkpoikana Udoma
Port Harcourt — A scathing new report has accused Chinese and indigenous mining companies of perpetrating widespread human rights violations, environmental degradation, and systemic exploitation in Ezillo and Ikwo communities of Ebonyi State, amounting to what advocates describe as an “environmental time bomb.”
The report, titled “Mining Practices in Ezillo and Ikwo Communities of Ebonyi State: An Environmental Time Bomb,” was unveiled by the Community Development Advocacy Foundation, CODAF, at a high-level global briefing convened by the Environmental Defenders Network, EDEN, Renevelyn Development Initiative RDI, and Africa Just Transition Network, AJTN.
According to CODAF’s Director of Campaigns and Administration, Maimoni Ubrei-Joe, the report is a wake-up call to end the “structured impunity” enabling mining operations that devastate local communities.
“The people of Ezillo and Ikwo deserve justice, dignity, and a healthy environment to call home. This report is not just about outrage, it must ignite action.”
Field investigations revealed that mining activities commenced without legally mandated Environmental and Social Impact Assessments, ESIA. Instead, companies allegedly signed opaque, non-legislative agreements with select local elites, excluding the broader communities from critical decisions.
The consequences, according to the report, are “devastating: polluted air and water, infertile soil, poor harvests, economic collapse, and rising respiratory illnesses. Vulnerable groups such as women, youth, and persons with disabilities have been systematically excluded from compensation processes. In many cases, state security operatives were reportedly deployed to silence dissent.”
Chima Williams, Executive Director of EDEN, said the report lays bare an entrenched culture of abuse.
“What we see in this report is not just negligence, it is structured impunity. Legal strategies, including class actions and community litigation, are now necessary to hold these violators accountable.”
Mercia Andrews, of South Africa’s Rural Women Assembly, added that the situation reflects a continent-wide pattern.
>“The stories from Ezillo and Ikwo mirror broader struggles in rural Africa. Organizing women and affected people into strong, informed movements is key to reclaiming our land, rights, and future.”
CODAF’s Executive Director, Benin Richard, said the organization embarked on the investigation following distressing complaints from host communities about mining-linked abuses that had gone largely undocumented.
“We are talking about entire communities stripped of their land and livelihoods without due process or protection. That cannot be allowed to continue,” Richard said.
The report also found, “No environmental audits or valid ESIA were conducted. Rampant land degradation and pollution. Discriminatory compensation schemes benefiting elites.
Others are, “Use of police and military to intimidate resisting community members. Loss of skilled youth due to economic hardship.”
Philip Jakpor, Executive Director of RDI, stressed the role of the media and civil society in ensuring accountability.
“The media must rise to the challenge. Silence in the face of such grave injustice is complicity. This report must add fuel to the movement for justice.”
The report recommends independent environmental audits, fair and inclusive compensation aligned with global standards, and comprehensive community engagement, particularly inclusive of women and youth. It also calls for full enforcement of Nigerian environmental laws and adherence to international frameworks like the World Bank’s Operational Policy 4.12 and the African Development Bank’s Safeguards Policy.
As Nigeria grapples with balancing economic growth and environmental justice, the voices from Ebonyi’s mining host communities are growing louder, demanding accountability, restitution, and reform.
“This is no longer a local issue,” said AJTN’s Assistant Coordinator, Ciza Mukabaha. “It’s a global justice matter. These communities deserve redress and real development, not exploitation dressed as investment.”
