Cocoa Estate Dispute: SAN Gives AG 7-Day Ultimatum To Retract Statement

A Calabar-based human rights lawyer, Ntufam Mba Ukweni (SAN), has issued a one-week ultimatum to the Cross River State attorney-general (AG), Mr Ededem Ani to retract a statement he made against him.

The ultimatum followed the inauguration of a task force by Ukweni’s law firm to enforce a court order regarding the government-owned Cocoa Estate in Etung local government area of Cross River State.

The AG had on March 12, 2026, in a public notice, which he circulated titled, “Re:constitution of Illegal Task Force by Mba Ukweni (SAN) to Enforce a Court Order in Respect of Etung Cocoa Estate” described Ukweni’s action as illegal, alleging that he had no power to inaugurate the committee.

In a reaction to the public notice in a media chat with newsmen, Ukweni said, “I am giving them a seven-day ultimatum to retract the statement and apologise to me. If he doesn’t, it means he’s not honest with whatever discussions they’re going to have with me.”

Ukweni explained that the taskforce committee, which he Inaugurated was for farmers with like minds called “Team Obey Court Order”, and was to protect themselves from violent individuals who used to attack them in their farms.

He cited a case where one of the allottees was killed while working in the farm he rented from government-owned Cocoa Estate, wondering why the killers were yet to be prosecuted.

He emphasized that the cocoa farmers were inaugurated to work as a team so as to scare their killers from launching attacks.

“The court had earlier restrained the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice from evicting allottees from their farms, as they had legitimately paid money into the state government’s coffers,” Ukweni said.

Ukweni warned that if the Attorney General who happened to be a party in the case doesn’t meet the two conditions which include, retracting the statement with an apology, “there will be no basis for any discussion, we’ll react,”

Ukweni further stated, “If we react, whoever is bruised by our reaction, the blame should be on him, because he knows what to do.

I mean the Attorney General, who I know is also lawyer and knows exactly what to do,” stressing that he would prepare a report to the governor, should the Attorney General failed to advise those pushing him to disobey court order.

Ukweni averred that as Attorney General, it’s his duty to obey the court order. “He’s a party in that case, and having acknowledged that there’s was an order of court, which he’s fought severally to upturn, he has a duty to obey,” Ukweni said.

The senior lawyer stressed that his law firm is ready to take necessary actions to protect their clients’ interests and uphold the rule of law.

Effort to get the Attorney General to react to the warning failed as his telephone line is said to be not available at the time of filing this report.