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From Isaac Job, Uyo
There is palpable tension in Ndito Eka Iba village, Ibeno Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State after bloody clash with their Eket neighbours over boundary matter as nine children have been declared missing from the oil rich community.
According to the Youth President of the riverine community, Ukot Robert , the area has been deserted as the whereabouts of the children remained unknown since December last year when the area was attacked by hoodlums suspected to have been sponsored by their neighbours in Eket LGA.
Robert while speaking with our Reporter said the same neighbours from Eket and Esit Eket have threatened another round of hostility to evict them from the oil community.
He explained that residents of Ndito Eka Iba, were privileged to know that their Eket and Esit Eket neighbours were still ambushing and maiming people along the coastal axis of the community.
The youth leader said they have apprehended and handed over to the Police five persons in Ndito Eka Iba community recently, who came to destroy some properties after the December 24, 2024 unwarranted attack.
“Ibeno East comprises of Esuk Ikem Ekeme which is ward 10 Unit 1, Itak Ifaha Unit 2, Itak Idim Nne Ekpe Unit 3, Esuk Ekim Akwaha Unit 4, Ndito Eka Iba Unit 5, Okomita Unit 6, Atia Ward 9 Unit 1, Itak Idim Ukpa Unit 2, Itio Esek Unit 3, Okposo one Unit 4 and Okposo two Unit 5 respectively.”
“All these villages are officially gazette communities in Ibeno LGA, but their neighbours from Eket and Esit Eket have continually been perpetuating crisis in the area to cede their land to Eket LGA which leads to lost of life and many people missing including the children.
“Parents have been looking for some of their children after the incident but to no avail . Those children got missing because of the attack in Ndito Eka Iba prior to Christmas Day attack.
“For people to missed from December 2024 till now in that carnage means that, they must have been killed. The community had set up a search party to continue looking for them, while the incident was reported to the Police for further investigation”.
Narrating their ordeal to our Correspondent, Robert listed names of the missing children as: Emmanuel Udoeka, 11 , Happiness John,8 , Ikotiye Okon 6, Thompson John 3, Friday Moses 4, John Mfon 9, Gabriel Akpan 8, Susana Peter 7 and Ubong Benselem 14.
He recalled that the attacks on Ibeno emanated from the controversial attempt by former Governor Udom Emmanuel to remap Ibeno Local Government and cede some villages in Ibeno to other Local Government Areas adding that the case is presently in court.
He said the former governor Udom Emmanuel attempted the remapping as a ploy cede oil bearing villages in nearby LGAs into his Local Government Area in Onna, Eket, Esit Eket, Mkpat Enin, and Ikot Abasi to also benefit from the 3 per cent contributions by oil companies under the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) .
“Consequently some people from Eket and Esit Eket led by one Aniedi Bassey a k.a Capital, living in Ndito Eka Iba village for fishing and trading began to cause problem trying to annex the communities and rename them as Okoiyak Eket.
“The Problem, led by one Aniedi Bassey and his gang of boys from Eket LGA, started on December 21, 2024 when they wanted to host an event at Ndito Eka Iba, but instead changed the name of the venue in our village on their sign post (flex) to “Okoiyak Eket Village in Eket LGA.
“When we saw what was written on the flex, we drew their attention to it and advised that it should be corrected to avoid having issues with the Village Council.
“Rather, they started challenging us, as their boys came out with matchets and dangerous weapons to attack us. We later reported the incident to the then Ibeno Police DPO, Mr. Victor Eze, but they could not do anything at that moment.
“Later in the night, we were surprised to see our Eket neighbours rose against Ibeno people and others living in Ndito Eka Iba village; destroying lives, properties and maiming people, while some children went missing”.
Another survivor of the attack, Uwem Bensalem Ekaete and father of four shared his experience of how his 14 year old son, Master Ubong, got missing from last year December attack till now.
“Since that attack happened, I lost my 14 year-old- son. I don’t know where he is right now or if he had been killed by the attackers.
“When the problem started, we were all packing a few things to leave the village. He also took some things and put outside suddenly, we sighted the hoodlums coming to the compound and we ran away to escape from them.
“I ran to Nta Ikang village, a nearby community as they burn down houses and beating up people.
It was after I was able to escape that I did not see my son, Ubong Uwem Bensalem again. I came back to ask other people till now, we can not find him. I am appealing to the government to help us.”
