Troops have been deployed to quell the raging violence in Eket, Esit Eket and Ibeno local government areas of Akwa Ibom State.
The actors are laying claim to a piece of land – Stubb Creek Forest, already acquired by the state government for the proposed refinery project by BUA Company Ltd.
LEADERSHIP gathered yesterday that Eket and Esit Eket, claiming ownership of the land and other disputed areas of Ibeno, instituted a lawsuit, but suddenly embarked on violent protest, barricading the major Eket-Ibeno Road, leading to the ExxonMobil’s Qua Iboe Terminal (QIT) at Mkpanak community.
Justifying the protest, the president-general (PG) of the apex socio-cultural group, Eket Peoples Union (EPU), Dr Samuel Udonsak, said the action became necessary in order to draw government attention to the issues in dispute as Ibeno continues to lay claim to the land, and other areas allegedly belonging to Eket in the neighbouring Ibeno LGA.
He accused the state government of complicity and alleged that in seizing the disputed Stubb Creek forest for Bua refinery project without consulting the stakeholders, elders and leaders of Eket, with a view to arriving at amicable resolution of the issues in dispute, lasting peace would continue to be a mirage.
But Governor Umo Eno has warned the feuding LGAs to adhere to the peace path as the issue is still pending in court, adding that the government would not join the issue until all parties resolve to sheathe their swords as no negotiation works in a crisis situation.
The governor, who spoke through the commissioner for information and strategy, Comrade Iniobong Ememobong, enjoined security agencies to work collaboratively with the new Ministry of Internal Security and Waterways led by the commissioner, Gen Koko Essien (rtd), to restore peace.
However, the police public relations officer, CSP Odiko MacDon, said calm has returned to the troubled areas, as troops have been drafted to work with the regular police, mobile police and other security operatives drawn from the Ministry of Internal Security and Waterways.
He said, “The commissioner of police (CP), Waheed Ayilara, has visited the scene and working jointly with troops and other security agencies including the Ministry of Internal Security and Waterways, to restore normalcy and cleared the barricade on the road. The police have assisted in clearing the injured to the hospital where they are currently receiving treatment.”
“He (CP) has engaged leaders and stakeholders in dialogue for peace,” he said and underscored the importance of security as everyone’s business and indulged government, religious, traditional rulers and youths to be in the vanguard of lasting peace in the affected areas.