The Cross River State Government has warned residents against trespassing on designated green areas across the Calabar metropolis, authorising the Nigeria Police Force and other law enforcement agencies to arrest and prosecute offenders in line with extant environmental laws.
The Commissioner for Environment, Barr. Bassey Offiong Mensah, gave the warning in a press release issued on Monday, October 26, 2026, while reaffirming the government's commitment to restoring degraded spaces and promoting a cleaner, greener and more sustainable environment.
Mensah expressed concern over the continued unauthorised use of green areas, particularly the Airport Field and other green corridors, for football and other sporting activities, noting that such practices contravene environmental regulations.
He said the Ministry of Environment has commenced a comprehensive restoration exercise across designated green areas in the metropolis in line with the environmental vision of Governor Bassey Otu's administration.
The Commissioner urged individuals, groups and associations to desist from encroaching on green spaces to allow the restoration exercise to proceed unhindered, warning that violators would face arrest and prosecution.
He called on residents, sports enthusiasts and members of the public to comply with the directive, stressing that the protection of public green spaces is essential to environmental sustainability and the overall public good.
