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Akwa Ibom State Police Command has confirmed the crisis between Ibeno and Esit Eket Local Government Areas of the state.
Akwa Ibom State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) ASP Timfon John, said that the Commissioner of Police, Joseph Eribo, had visited the area with the Director, Department of State Services (DSS) for on-the-spot assessment.
John said that the attack was carried out by suspected hoodlums from neighbouring communities at midnight on Saturday.
She said that the places attacked were: farms, schools, homes, clinic and public utilities worth millions of naira.
John said that the state Police Criminal Investigation Department (CID) was currently investigating the matter on the directive of the commissioner of Police.
She said that no casualty had been recorded since the incident started.
Also speaking, the Paramount Ruler of Ibeno, Owong Effiong Achianga attributed the crisis in Ibeno communities to the enormous natural resources deposit in the area.
He said that Ibeno is blessed with oil and gas which the entire Akwa Ibom benefit from, adding that his people would not tolerate further aggression from their neighbours.
“I have appealed to Ibeno youths to remain calm. I am appealing to Elders, council chairmen of our neighboring council areas to call their youths to order,” he said.
He appealed to the state government to intervene and bring peace to the destroyed community and others earlier torched by the hoodlums.
“Government should replace the damaged property and help the displaced people recover from the shock of the atrocities”.
He called on the Police to deploy security personnel to Ibeno to protect lives and property, adding that the hoodlums must be apprehended to face the full wrath of the law.
