By Kelvin Ololo
A loud crash jolted residents of Ikot Effanga Mkpang community in Calabar Municipality on Monday, renewing fears that the ravine threatening their homes could soon claim more houses, properties and possibly lives.
“We had a loud noise that shook the environment. It was not a small one,” a resident told CrossRiverWatch, recalling the moment part of the ravine gave way as rain continued to fall.
For residents living around the expanding ravine, the persistent rainfall has turned what was once an environmental concern into a daily struggle for survival. Each downpour now comes with uncertainty, as residents watch the edges of the ravine break away and portions of the surrounding land collapse.
The rains that continued into Tuesday 29 September 2026 afternoon, left another devastating mark on the community, with residents saying the ravine had taken yet another portion of their environment.
Some residents have relocated from areas considered most vulnerable, while those who remain live with the fear that their homes could be the next to disappear.
Residents say the most frightening part is the unpredictability.
The ravine has continued to widen and break away with successive rainfall, leaving cracks and unstable portions of land around the affected area.
A resident said the sound of collapsing earth has become a source of anxiety, particularly at night or whenever heavy rain begins.
The situation, residents said, has forced families to remain constantly alert, watching the movement of the soil and assessing how close the ravine has come to their homes.
A warning tape has now been placed around sections of the ravine by concerned residents in an attempt to keep people away from the unstable edges.
But the residents told CrossRiverWatch the tape is only a warning not a solution.
They are also concerned about children and other residents who could unknowingly approach the dangerous edges, particularly as the affected area remains part of their everyday environment.
They further expressed frustration that, despite repeated appeals to previous administrations and the current Governor Bassey Otu administration, no government agency has visited the affected area to properly assess the extent of the damage.
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They said they had expected relevant agencies to physically inspect the ravine, determine the level of danger and provide immediate intervention before further rainfall worsens the situation. Instead, they say, the community has been left to confront the advancing ravine largely on its own.
“We have been calling for help. Nobody has come to see what is happening here,” one resident said.
The absence of an official assessment has also heightened uncertainty over the safety of houses and properties still standing close to the ravine.
Beyond the immediate danger to homes and lives, residents are also worried about the future of their community and access to public facilities.
READ: Another Deadly Landslide Hits Calabar, Leaves Two Dead
One resident pointed out that a polling unit is located within the affected area, raising questions about how residents will participate in the forthcoming elections if the ravine continues to consume portions of the community.
“We know that election is near, and there is a polling unit in this place. How are we going to vote?” the resident asked.
For the community, the question goes beyond elections. It reflects a broader fear that the ravine could eventually disrupt movement, access to homes and other basic activities if urgent intervention is not provided.
The Ikot Effanga Mkpang ravine has become a growing symbol of the community’s vulnerability to erosion and flooding.
Residents say its movement has become almost routine, rain falls, the ground weakens, another portion breaks away, and families wait anxiously to see what remains.
But for those living closest to the ravine, the situation is no longer something they can simply watch.
Every collapse brings the threat closer. And with rainfall continuing, residents fear that another loud crash could mean another home, another property or worse, another life has been swallowed.
They however, called for an urgent physical assessment of the site by relevant government agencies and immediate measures to halt further erosion before the ravine claims more of Ikot Effanga Mkpang.
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