Tension In Akwa Ibom Oil Communities Over Ownership Of Disputed Seaport

Tension has mounted in coastal oil communities of Eastern Obolo and Ikot Abasi local government areas as the two councils have drawn the battle line over the rightful owners of a stretch of land developed by the immediate past Governor Udom Emmanuel’s administration for a ship to berth at Ukpum Ete community in Ikot Abasi LGA.

Recently, it was gathered that some ships arrived at the port amid celebrations by the local residents of Ikot Abasi LGA, who expressed joy for witnessing the revitalisation of the port zone, leading to angry reactions from the neighbouring Eastern Obolo LGA, who also claimed ownership of the area on which a core investor, Sterling Petrochemical and Fertiliser processing firm, currently operates.

Threatening to use official and other weapons to claim the land, angry Obolo youths under the aegis of a socio-cultural group, the Obolo Youth Coalition (OYC), warned of drastic consequences should Ikot Abasi continue to push for the riverine location.

Comrade Timothy Ichen, OYC Chairman, and Uche Sylvanus, Secretary of the Obolo Clan Council, in a communique made available to Journalists in Uyo, the State capital, on Wednesday, vowed reciprocal action should the alleged encroachment be sustained.

“The OYC has noted with grave concern and mounting anger the recent circulation of false, provocative and misleading reports claiming that the newly completed seaport at the Liberty Oil and Gas Free Zone (LOGFZ) is located in Ikot Abasi.

“We refer to recent publications — including one circulated by “Akwa Ibom News Update” and other government-aligned outlets celebrating the arrival of the first ship on March 1, 2026. While we welcome the economic development this project brings to our shores, we outrightly reject and condemn the deliberate distortion of geography that attempts to rob Eastern Obolo of its rightful heritage.

“We wish to state categorically, and for the avoidance of doubt, that the Liberty Oil and Gas Free Zone and the newly completed seaport are situated wholly within the territorial boundaries of Eastern Obolo LGA, and Ikot Abasi.

“This persistent misrepresentation is an insult to the peace- loving people of Eastern Obolo and a blatant attempt to marginalise our community and strip us of our rightful economic recognition,” the OYC stated.

However, in a counter reaction, the Ukpum Ete Unity Association (UEUA), a socio-cultural pressure group of Ikot Abasi LGA, disputed the claim as “baseless, misleading, and a gross distortion of historical facts.”

Leaders of UEUA, led by the President, Mr Ebenezer Etukakpan, and the Secretary -General, Hon. Emmanuel Ekwere, faulted the claim, recalling that “it’s an undisputed fact, supported by the WACA judgement of 1945, that the geographical location known and addressed today as Eastern Obolo LGA, belongs to Ukpum Ete Clan in Ikot Abasi LGA.”

They argued, “The creation of a local government through military fiat does not, and cannot, take away the land and resources from the aboriginal owners.”

“We find it perplexing that OYC would attempt to claim ownership and hosting rights to Sterling Petrochemical and Fertiliser processing company, located in Ukpum Ete land. These claims are not only unfounded but also a pathological attempt to rewrite history and usurp the rightful heritage of the Ukpum Ete people. We assert that Obolos have no legitimate claim to land and resources in Ukpum Ete land.

“We will not stand idly by while our people are subjected to intimidation, false claims, and attempts to undermine our peaceful coexistence.

“We call on the investors, including Sterling Petrochemical Company, to ignore OYC’s threats and intimidation. We assure them of Ukpum Ete’s hospitality and commitment to peaceful coexistence.

“We also call on the government of Akwa Ibom State to treat OYC’s threat as an affront to the serene peace in the State, and take decisive action against the authors and their sponsors. Those seeking to sow discord and unrest must be held accountable for their actions,” the UEUA leaders warned.