Tensions continue to rise in Ibeno Local Government Area as community leaders urge Governor Umo Eno to step in and resolve a longstanding land dispute with neighboring Eket and Esit Eket communities.
The conflict, centered around ownership of the Stubb Creek Forest and access to the Atlantic Ocean, has sparked multiple clashes — the most recent being the February 26 attack on Iwoachang village.
Chief Okon Udofia, Secretary of the Ibeno Clan Council, called for urgent government intervention, accusing Eket of ignoring a 1981 court ruling that awarded the disputed land to Ibeno.
“We are urging the governor to act now. The Eket community must be called to order and kept away from the Palm Plantation in line with the 1981 judgment,” Udofia said at a press briefing.
He also criticized the state’s failure to provide relief to victims of the February attack, despite the governor’s promises.
“There has been no compensation, no response from emergency agencies. If justice is not served, there will be no peace,” Udofia warned.
The Ibeno leaders are also calling for arrests of those inciting violence, alleging political backing behind renewed aggression.
