Residents of Atimbo, a community in Calabar, Cross River State, have called on the state government to urgently address the recurring problem of falling trees during rainfalls, which they say has become a serious threat to lives and property.
The call follows an incident on Monday evening where a Nissan Xterra Jeep was crushed by a falling tree during a heavy downpour accompanied by stormy winds.
The vehicle, which belonged to a resident, was parked just outside her home when the tree fell.
An eyewitness, Mr Samuel Ekpenyong, who spoke to NAN on Tuesday, recounted the incident, “She was still calling out for the gate to be opened for her when a huge tree in front of the building fell on the car and seriously damaged it. Although she was not injured because she was not inside the car at the time, this is one too many damages in Calabar.”
Ekpenyong said the incident adds to a list of similar cases in the city. In 2024, a tree fell on a minibus along the Muritala Muhammed Highway, tragically killing one of its occupants, a lecturer at the University of Calabar.
Miss Ikaete Livinus, another resident of Atimbo, said residents have repeatedly complained about ageing and overgrown trees across the Calabar metropolis.
“Late last year, Calabar was without power for days due to a storm that brought countless old trees down. These trees destroyed power installations, wires, poles, and private properties like shops and homes,” Livinus said.
She added that the number of fallen trees during that storm made it almost impossible to access major roads, including the Muritala Muhammed Highway.
“The state government needs to be proactive and start assessing these trees early before the rainy season,” she said.
Reacting to the concerns, the Commissioner for Environment, Mr Moses Osogi, sympathised with victims of fallen tree incidents and urged residents to be cautious, especially during storms.
“We advise people in the city to park far away from trees whenever there is a storm,” Osogi said.
He noted that the state government is already taking measures to prevent further disasters.
“We have a unit in the Ministry of Environment whose responsibility is to identify and cut down old trees. If you go around the city, you will see what we are doing. It is a gradual process,” Osogi explained.
He encouraged residents who spot potentially dangerous trees to report them to the ministry.
“The unit responsible will certify if the tree is actually old and proceed to either cut it down or prune it,” Osogi assured.
Residents have urged the government for faster action, and stressed that the loss of lives and property to falling trees is becoming an all-too-common occurrence in Calabar.
