Land Dispute: Abducted Monarch’s Wife Cries For Help, Family Lawyer Fingers Govt Official 

The family of Clan head, Nkonib Quo clan, Ikot Ansa community, Calabar municipality local government area in Cross River State, has demanded the release of the family member Chief Maurice Omin Iso, who was abducted at his residence on December 23, 2024, at Ikot Ansa community by men suspected to be security operatives at about 7pm and taken to unknown destination.

The wife of the abducted monarch, Mrs Arit Maurice Iso, made the demand while recounting the emotional trauma faced by the monarch’s immediate family since his disappearance in Calabar yesterday.

Arit said, “I want my husband back home to join us, whoever had been holding my husband hostage should please release him to us. Chief is a peaceful person who cannot even hurt a fly.  I don’t know why they are holding him hostage”.

No security organisation had admitted knowing the whereabouts of the abducted monarch since he was whisked away by his abductors from his compound as his whereabouts remain a mystery to family members.

LEADERSHIP gathered that the traditional ruler’s ordeal began sometimes ago when he  and other seven claimants took Cross River State Government to court in suit No: HC/314/2022 on behalf of  ( Ikot Ansa) Qua Clan  challenging  what they described as  illegal acquisition of 369.579 hectares of communal land purported to have been illegally occupied by state government.

However, on March 7, 2022, at High Court 2, the presiding judge, Hon Justice B.T Ebuta, after describing the   six claimants ‘ act as an attempt to frustrate the Justice of the Case, ruled against the parties seeking to be joined as defendants.

In compliance and obedience with the consent judgment, the Attorney General of the State on September 30,2022, wrote to Ntufam Maurice and Ntufam Donatus  formally handing over the 23 hectares of the land in question  to the two  claimants, Iso and Donatus.

When the other six chiefs heard that the land was to be handed over to Chief Maurice Iso and Chief Donatus Etim,  based on the consent judgement, the  six monarchs  filed a case in the High Court in suit No. HC/147/2022 asking the court to set aside the consent judgment filed  in HC/314/2021.

But Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu of the Federal High Court Calabar, in  suit No. FHC/CA/CS/3/2025,early this month ordered the Department of State Security, DSS, and the Attorney General to produce Iso in court on January 15, 2025, even though both parties denied knowing the whereabouts of the abducted monarch.

Lead counsel to the abducted monarch, Chief Obono Obla, fingered the state Attorney General (AG) and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Ededem Ani,  and operatives of DSS of knowing the  whereabouts of the  abducted monarch.

Obla alleged that  on January 4,  2025  telephone conversation, the Attorney General,  (AG ),Mr Edemdem Charles Ani, admitted that the abducted monarch, Chief Maurice Iso, was arrested by security operatives and kept in  the custody of DSS because he was becoming a security risk as he encroached into a land belonging to the government, and carved out a community in Ikot Ansa for himself.

Obla said, “The AG promised that Chief Maurice would be released but would be charged to court.”.

In reaction to the allegation, the Attorney General  (AG) and Commissioner for Justice for  the state, Ededem Ani,  on Thursday  last week  issued a statement  saying that the various media reports linking him  and his office to the incident were all  false and baseless.

He  denied  involvement in Chief Maurice Omin Iso’s travail, stressing that the media reports  were  attempt  calculated to tarnish his good image built over the year.