The Ekid Development Union, representing one of the major ethnic groups in Akwa Ibom State, has raised alarms over the alleged encroachment of its ancestral land in Odoro Okuku, located within Stubbs Creek Forest. The union accused the Ibeno Local Government Area, in collaboration with security agents, of unlawfully clearing and developing the area without the consent of the Ekid people.
In a statement signed by the President-General of the Ekid People’s Union, Dr. Samuel Udonsak, and the Secretary-General, Barr. Bassey Dan-Abia, the group condemned the construction of a health centre and other structures by Ibeno LGA on Ekid land. The statement also pointed out that this action violates the Forest Reserve Ordinance of 1948 and the March 2024 directive from the Akwa Ibom State governor, which forbade further development in the Stubbs Creek Forest Reserve.
“It has come to our attention that agents of Ibeno Local Government, in connivance with the State Ministry of Lands, have cleared large swathes of land at Odoro Okuku within Akoiyak (Stubbs Creek Forest), bonafide property of Ekid; and are now pegging it with the intention of building a health facility for Ibeno Local Government Area on Ekid Land,” the union stated.
The union further claimed that land at Ndito Eka Iba village had been leased to a Chinese company by Ibeno, resulting in the clearing of valuable economic crops without the Ekid people’s consent. The group described these actions as “grave provocations” and a violation of their fundamental rights.
Citing a historical judgment from 1918, the Ekid leaders reiterated that the land in question, including Stubbs Creek Forest, belongs to the Ekid people. They emphasized that the only legally acquired part of the forest is the ExxonMobil facility, for which due compensation was paid.
“When His Excellency the Governor of Akwa Ibom State visited in the aftermath of the crises on 1st March 2024, he promised to remove all the illegal structures in the Stubbs Creek Forest. But, as at today, they have not only been removed; rather, Ibeno is exclusively allowed and protected, to continue to build more permanent structures,” the statement read.
The union demanded that all development activities in Stubbs Creek Forest by Ibeno LGA and its collaborators be halted immediately, as they contravene both the governor’s directive and the laws governing the forest reserve. They warned that failure to address these issues could lead to further conflict between the two communities.
