No fewer than 10 persons have lost their lives following weeks of torrential rainfall that triggered devastating floods and landslides across Calabar, the Cross River State capital, with the state government calling for urgent Federal Government intervention.
The persistent downpours, which began in early July, have submerged major roads, destroyed homes, disrupted commercial activities and left hundreds of residents counting their losses.
Among the victims were four siblings killed when a landslide struck their home in Ikot Anwatim, while their father reportedly died after he was buried in mud while attempting to rescue them.
In another incident, a man drowned in floodwaters along Elijah Henshaw Street, while a one-year-old child was swept away by raging flood on Webber Street. Two other children also reportedly drowned at Otop Abasi.
Another landslide at Boropit in the Idim Otop area claimed the lives of two girls after a building collapsed on them.
The latest disaster occurred at Diamond Hill near the former Unicem headquarters, where several buildings were swept away into the adjoining sea, leaving a section of the road leading to the Nigerian Navy Base and Calabar Jetty badly damaged.
The recurring disasters have displaced many residents and destroyed properties worth hundreds of millions of naira, while schools, markets and businesses have been severely affected by the continuous flooding.
Experts have linked the worsening floods and landslides to extensive deforestation, illegal logging, mining and unchecked agricultural activities that have stripped the state’s rainforest of its natural protection.
The Conservator-General of the Nigeria National Park Service, Dr. Ibrahim Goni, recently disclosed that about 14,000 hectares of Cross River’s tropical rainforest were destroyed in 2025 through illegal logging, mining and other human activities.
According to Goni, the environmental degradation has increased the state’s vulnerability to flooding and other climate-related disasters.
“We are all witnesses to the devastating floods taking place in Calabar, and more flooding is on the way. Deforestation is driving rapid climate change, and we must urgently retrace our steps if we are to prevent further disasters,” he warned.
Meanwhile, the Cross River State Government has appealed to the Federal Government for immediate intervention, describing the situation as an impending ecological disaster beyond the state’s capacity to manage.
Speaking during an inspection of the Diamond Hill landslide, the Deputy Governor, Dr. Peter Odey, said the scale of destruction required urgent deployment of federal technical expertise and ecological resources.
“We received reports of this landslide after the heavy rainfall and immediately directed the Commissioner for Works to mobilise to the site because government cannot afford to delay in responding to a disaster of this magnitude,” Odey said.
“Our immediate priority is to secure the area, prevent further destruction and protect lives and property.”
He noted that officials of the National Emergency Management Agency had already inspected the affected area, stressing that collaboration between the Federal and Cross River State governments would be critical to addressing the crisis.
“This challenge is beyond what any single institution can effectively handle. It requires genuine collaboration between the Federal Government and the state government,” he added.
Odey warned that Calabar could face more devastating ecological disasters if urgent preventive measures were not implemented.
“This is not the only affected location. We have received reports of erosion and landslides from several communities across the state. We cannot afford to wait until more lives are lost before taking decisive action,” he said.
He also warned that continued erosion around Diamond Hill could threaten strategic federal installations, including the Nigerian Navy Base, if immediate intervention was not carried out.
“The affected road provides access to important federal institutions. If it is eventually cut off, it will have serious implications not only for Cross River State but also for the nation,” the deputy governor stated.
He assured residents that the Governor Bassey Otu-led administration would continue engaging the Federal Government to secure lasting solutions to the ecological challenges confronting the state.