Residents of the coastal oil bearing communities in Ibeno local government area of Akwa Ibom State have raised the alarm, over alleged plot by enemies from the neighbouring Eket and Esit Eket LGAs to resume another round of hostilities against them.
Calling on the state and federal governments to safeguard lives and properties especially vital oil and gas assets by early intervention, leaders, elders and stakeholders of the area warned of devastating impacts if the attackers from Eket and Esit Eket, invade their communities again.
It was learnt that the perennial crises stemmed from the oil-rich Stubb Creek forest, which BUA Group acquired for the construction of a petrochemical and fertilizer plant, which Eket and Esit Eket LGAs are claiming ownership of.
Speaking on behalf of the affected communities at Upenkang community in Ibeno LGA at the weekend, the secretary of Ibeno Clan Council, Chief Udofia Okon Udofia, recalled that these same sponsored hoodlums were responsible for series of attacks orchestrated against the Ibeno group of villages including Iwochang, Inua Eyet Ikot and Ndito Eka Iba, leading to death and destruction of homes, fishing gears and other valuables.
He recalled that former Governor Udom Emmanuel’s attempt to remap some LGAs by ceding some oil-bearing villages to his local government in Onna and others in the State to benefit from the Host Community Development Trust Fund (HCDTF) was one of the remote causes of the crisis.
He noted that, “Just recently, the President of Ekid People’s Union, Dr. Samuel Udonsak, at the quarterly general meeting of the union held on 11th April 2025, reported that the Esit Urua people in Eket LGA, now have unfettered access to Ibeno palm plantations”.
While commending the governor, Pastor Umo Eno, the commissioner of Police (CP), in the state, and His Highness, Dr Ferdinand Ikwang, for working collaboratively towards bringing the impasse to an end, he prayed for God’s intervention to ensure peace in the troubled areas.
He said: “We are calling on the State Governor, Pastor Umo Eno, to call the people of Eket and Esit Eket to order; and also urge the security agencies to arrest and prosecute anybody inciting or sponsoring violence in the area.
“We will not have peace if the government could not tell the people of Esit Urua in Eket to stay away from the Palm Plantation and abide by the 1981 judgment that was in favour of Ibeno.
“The land dispute case in which Eket sued Ibeno was decided in favour of Ibeno in 1981. They later appealed the judgment at the Appeal Court in Calabar. Instead of them following up on the case, Eket decided to cut corners by hiding under their ally, the former governor, Mr. Udom Emmanuel and cited the case of 1918, which can never help them.
“They now resort to remapping so that they can take our land, and we have promised whoever is involved that we will never allow one inch of our land to be ceded to Eket.
“We see the former Governor Udom Emmanuel as the progenitor or instigator of this problem between us and Eket, Esit Eket, Onna, Mkpat Enin and Ikot Abasi LGAs”.
He lamented that, their anger stemmed from the fact that, the state government has been paying lip service to their plights, and leaving the people in anguish, recalling that,” Governor Umo Eno, after the February 24, 2024 attack on Iwoachang village in Ibeno LGA, had directed that the waring parties should stay away from the disputed area and promised to compensate and support the victims of the attack, but more than one year now, the governor has not fulfill his promises.”
“Up till now, the government has not done anything even with the crisis of that magnitude. Neither was there any relief from Akwa State Emergency Management Agency ( AKSEMA), Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, nor National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA).
“May be, the Governor is not paying attention to our concerns because it is not politically convenient, or because he has his businesses in Eket, and would not want to incur the wrath of Ekid people, but whatever forms his wealth today comes from Ibeno!
“Apart from that, the Governor has a second term ambition and with the crisis between Eket and Ibeno, he feels Ekid people would be a threat to his second term ambition, and as such, he sits on the fence without coming out firmly on the matter. The governor should fulfil the promise he made to the victims of the attack and Ibeno people in general by compensating the victims and making sure that justice prevails on this matter.
“The Governor should tell Eket or Esit Eket people to remain where they were because, by the creation of Ibeno Local Government Area as shown in the map of Akwa Ibom, all those areas belong to Ibeno.
“We will not have peace if the State Government cannot tell Eket people to stay away from our lands, recall the Ndito Eka Iba mayhem last December 2024, where a resident was beheaded and several children missing by hoodlums from Eket and Esit Eket”.
