Ukorebi Esien | January 18, 2025
CALABAR —The environmental non-governmental organization (NGO) community in Cross River State has issued a global call for the immediate and unconditional release of Comrade Odey Oyama, a prominent environmentalist and human rights defender. Oyama, the Executive Director of the Rainforest Resource and Development Center and former Chairman of the Cross River Anti-Deforestation Committee, was arrested on January 15, 2025, by the Cross River State Police Command.
Reports indicate that Oyama's arrest, along with six others, occurred in Okuni, Ikom Local Government Area, during a forceful operation by the Okuni Area Command. Family members disclosed that police officials stormed the area, shooting sporadically, and arrested Oyama in a gestapo-styled operation that left residents scared. Following the arrest, Oyama and his colleagues were initially detained at the Ikom division before being transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department in Calabar
Concerns have been raised regarding the lack of transparency surrounding the charges against Oyama. Family members have reported that, more than 24 hours after his arrest, his offense has yet to be disclosed to him. Additionally, attempts by legal counsel to meet with Oyama have been obstructed. On January 16, 2025, the Cross River Command of the Nigerian Police Force refused Sunny Mgbe Esq, a counsel to Oyama, access to discuss with him, according to family members.
The environmental NGO community suspects that Oyama's arrest is connected to his consistent protests against illegal operations by Chinese entities in the Okuni Community Forest. They assert that this arrest represents a severe violation of fundamental human rights and undermines the critical role of civil society in holding corporations and governments accountable, as well as protecting the last remaining tropical rainforest in Nigeria, located in Cross River State.
In response, the NGOs have issued the following demands:
The Cross River State Police Command should immediately and unconditionally release Comrade Odey Oyama and the six others arrested, dropping all charges against them.
The Cross River State Government, particularly the Chief Security Adviser to the Governor and the Commissioner for Environment, should intervene and order their immediate and unconditional release.
The Nigerian Government should ensure the safety and protection of human rights defenders and environmental activists across the country.
The international community should condemn this act of repression and pressure the Nigerian authorities to uphold their commitments to human rights, as enshrined in national and international frameworks.
Civil society organizations worldwide should amplify this call and advocate for the protection of environmentalists and defenders of community rights.
The NGOs emphasize that Oyama's arrest is an attack on freedom of expression, civic participation, and the fight for environmental justice. They stand in solidarity with him and all those who courageously work to protect the planet and its people from exploitation and harm.
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