Angry people of Ukpum Ete, an oil-bearing coastal community in Ikot Abasi local government area of Akwa Ibom State, have decried what they described as misleading media reports over the gruesome murder of a 17-year-old teenager, Elijah Sunday Jackson, who was shot dead by a soldier on February 25, 2025.
Addressing journalists in Uyo, the state capital, the aggrieved stakeholders under the aegis of the Ukpum Ete Unity Association, UEUA, dismissed the claim that the incident that led to the killing of the teenager followed a fracas involving the soldier and some diesel thieves, wondering why some media reports painted a wrong narrative, labelling the community youths as the oil thieves.
A communique signed by the UEUA president, Mr Eno Ebenezer Etukakpan, and the secretary-general, Hon. Emmanuel Ekwere Akpan, demanded the affected news outlets retract their version of the reports or be ready for lawsuits.
“We receive several news reportage from both national and local media houses as well as social media platforms on the killing of our beloved son Master Elijah Sunday Jackson with sadness and shock.
“He was age 17 years, a single parent from Ekpuk Inang village In Ukpum Ete Clan, Ikot Abasi LGA. The sole intention of these media houses is not only to mislead and misinform the general public, but invariably to paint Ukpum Ete community in bad light.
“And to also maligned her reputation from taking step to fight the injustice done to the community by this untold action of a military officer. This bias reportage in a democratic setting is against the principle of fair judgment.
It’s also against the core ethics of journalism which entails balance and investigative practice.
“Ukpum Ete Unity Association, is averse to this jungle journalism exhibited by the underlined media houses – Daily Sun, Punch, Vanguard and Daily Post, based in Akwa Ibom State. “
The leadership of Ukpum Ete Unity Association, therefore called on the above mentioned media houses to retract their one sided news reports within 7days of this rejoinder failing which we will have no option than to follow the path of law to ensure justice and redress.
“Taking into cognizance of the misleading Punch headline thus; ‘Soldier, villager injured in Akwa Ibom violent clash over diesel theft,’ which stated in the body of the report that ‘the crisis which broke out on Tuesday, was reportedly triggered by a confrontation between the officer and suspected diesel thieves operating in the area.’
“This unwholesome reportage is riddled with complete falsehood. It’s tantamount to saying that Ukpum Ete Clan harbours diesel thieves. Very wrong and a deliberate misinformation by the aforementioned media houses.
“It’s on record that on Tuesday,25th February,2025 the life of a youngster, Master Elijah Sunday Jackson was abruptly cut off by a military officer who left his assigned duty post at Sterling Petro-chemical company located on our soil, Okopedi Ete, to pursue his selfish interest.
“None of our children indulge in the stealing of diesel products from the said Sterling Petro-chemical and fertilizer company limited; neither have our association nor our community ever heard of any stolen products from the said company until the day our beloved son was shot dead whereby newspapers and social media platforms were awash with the wrong side of the situation.
“We urge the general public to disregard this fabricated lie carried out by paid purveyors of falsehood whose only aim is to damage the good image of Ukpum Ete Clan. The Army officer left his assigned duty post and pursued innocent Nigerians into the hinterland for no just cause.
“The action and inaction of the said army officer is against the ethics of his rules of engagement, which ought to be punitive. We call on the government of Akwa Ibom State, the Nigerian army and the Federal Government of Nigeria to set up independent panel of inquiry to investigate the unruly action of the said military officer and the ugly activities of military personnel attached/assigned to Sterling Petro-chemical and fertilizer Company Limited operating on our land at Okopedi Ete, to adhere strictly to the rules of engagement governing their services.
“This is to forestall future occurrence and to direct Sterling Petrochemical Company to adequately compensate the bereaved family.”
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