The Chairman of Boki Local Government Area in Cross River State, Eti-Eka Beatrice Etta Nyiam, and the Country Director of the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), Andrew Dunn, have refuted claims that elephants killed several people in Bamba, Butatong, and nearby communities.
Their response follows a statement by a member of the House of Representatives, Victor Abang, who recently alleged that elephants strayed from Okwangwo Forest in the Cross River National Park between January 6 and 15, and again on February 8, 2025, causing fatalities and widespread destruction.
However, in an exclusive interview with DAILY POST, Nyiam dismissed the report as inaccurate. “That report is not correct at all. I visited the affected communities, and the locals confirmed to me that while the elephants destroyed farmlands, they did not kill anyone,” she stated.
Echoing this, WCS director Andrew Dunn also denied any human casualties. “I have field officers in those areas, along with other NGOs, and all our findings confirm that the elephants did not harm any residents but did destroy farms,” he said.
Dunn explained that elephants have an acute sense of smell, which may have led them to wander in search of food, particularly fruit. He emphasized that elephants typically do not attack humans unless provoked. “The locals have traditional methods to scare them away, such as firing native guns into the air,” he added.
While the destruction of farmlands remains a concern, officials maintain that no lives were lost in the recent incidents.
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