Ukorebi Esien | July 21, 2025
CALABAR -A heated dispute has erupted between the Chairman of the Cross River State Anti-Illegal Mining Task Force, Prince Paul Effiong, and former federal lawmaker Hon. Daniel Asuquo, popularly known as DANSUKI, over allegations of business betrayal, illegal mining, and political intimidation.
What initially began as a verbal business agreement between two political allies has now snowballed into a full-blown public scandal, drawing in security agencies, federal regulators, and legal practitioners, with potential implications for the broader mining sector in Cross River State.
Prince Paul Effiong, who served as Director of Operations during Hon. Dan Asuquo's campaign for the Cross River South Senatorial Seat, disclosed in a recorded interview that after Dan's electoral loss, he encouraged him to venture into mining as an alternative livelihood.
"I personally facilitated the mining venture. I even filled the mining license forms with his wife at Zenith Bank for the registration process," Prince Paul stated. "We had a verbal agreement that I would receive 30% of whatever profit comes out of the mining business, while he and his wife take 70%."
According to him, despite securing contracts to supply iron ore to Lafarge and broker labor services and raking in over N280m, Dan allegedly reneged on their agreement and has not paid him a dime since operations commenced in 2023.
Beyond the personal grievances, Prince Paul, who now heads the state's Anti-Illegal Mining Task Force, alleges that the former Lawmaker who represented Akamkpa/Biase federal constituency in the green Chambers for 12 years, also engaged in illegal mining activities. He explained that DANSUKI has been mining outside the approved coordinates of his Small-Scale Mining Lease (SSML No. 55800) located in Akamkpa Local Government Area.
A letter from the Federal Mines Office dated April 7, 2025, confirmed that while Doveline Investment Limited, the company associated with Hon. Asuquo holds a valid mining lease, the coordinates observed during an inspection did not align with the approved boundaries. The Ministry directed the company to relocate its activities within legal limits or risk revocation.
Efforts to enforce the order were reportedly met with resistance. "He brought in armed soldiers to guard the illegal site," Prince Paul alleged. "This led to a standoff between our task force, civil defense, and his hired security."
Prince Paul informed that matters took a dramatic turn when He was arrested by operatives from the IGP Monitoring Unit allegedly on the orders of Hon. Asuquo. He was detained and charged with Obtaining by Trick (OBT), a criminal charge he strongly denies.
"He used his connections with the Chief of Staff to the President to bring in the IGP squad to intimidate me. I slept in a cell despite committing no offence. They started with a N5 million bail, which was later reduced to ₦1 million," Paul narrated.
He noted that his eventual release was facilitated by interventions from the Cross River State Government, including the State Security Adviser and the Commissioner of Police.
In response, Hon. Dan Asuquo, through his legal counsel, Dennis Tarhemba & Co., has issued a formal demand notice to Prince Paul, describing his public statements as "injurious falsehood and cyberbullying."
The letter, dated July 19, 2025, demands that Prince Paul retracts his statements within 48 hours via national dailies and pays ₦1 billion in damages or face legal action. The letter also confirmed that a petition had earlier been submitted to the Inspector General of Police over alleged unlawful interference with Dan's mining site and a claim of advance fee fraud.
State Government Maintains Neutrality
While Prince Paul currently serves under the Cross River State Government, a government official who is familiar with the situation but pleaded not to be disclosed because he hasn't been authorized to speak on the matter has affirmed that the Cross River Government has refused to shield Prince Paul from accountability.
"The situation is very delicate; these are two brothers affiliated with the governor. The governor has tried to play safe but wants justice served without favoritism. Answers are needed for these critical questions: Did Paul do the License for DANSUKI after collecting the acclaimed N10m? Was the site DANSUKI was mining legally his? That tells you the government is standing for due process, not personalities," he said.
Prince Paul revealed that Dan Asuquo is not the only one under scrutiny. "We've impounded several excavators from illegal miners and spent over ₦9 million to repatriate hundreds of illegal miners. The prison system cannot even accommodate them all," he said, urging The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and other security agencies to take up their role in monitoring mining activities in the state.
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