Gov. Umo Eno.
By Anietie Akpan
The people Ekid Nation, comprising Eket and Esit Eket Local Government Areas (LGA) of Akwa Ibom, have dragged the State Government and its Commissioner for what they called, “the clandestine, unjust, and illegal transfer of 30,000 hectares of Ekid ancestral land to Tulcan Energy Company without notice, consultation, or compensation to the rightful landowners”.
Already, the Ekid people through its highly respected umbrella body, the Ekid People’s Union (EPU), led Dr. Samuel Udonsak, had earlier formally petitioned the state government alleging that the Commissioner for Lands and Water Resources, Captain Iniobong Ekong (rtd), facilitated the land transfer and called for an urgent action.
In same vein, a Statesman, Community Leader, and Advocate for Peace and Justice in Ekid Nation, Elder Umoudi Etukudo Essien, in a statement dated July 6, said such alleged egregious acts can plunge the peace-loving people of Ekid and their Ibeno neighbours into a needless and avoidable ethnic confrontation.
He argued that, “Stubbs Creek Forest Reserve, the focal point of this controversy—has long been recognized, both historically and judicially, as land belonging to the Ekid people. This is not a matter of mere sentiment or oral tradition; it is a fact upheld by law and sealed by the landmark ruling in the 1918 case of *Ntiaro and Ikpak v. Ibok Etukakpan and Edoho.
“The brazen attempt to override these rights with executive impunity is a direct invitation to chaos”.
The Community Leader said, “it is no longer a secret that, Tulcan Energy has been operating covertly in the said reserve for over half a year. The question is: With whose authority? Whose consent? Whose mandate? Certainly not that of the indigenous landowners! What is unfolding here is not just an administrative overreach—it is a deliberate, orchestrated land grab executed under the full watch of a state official who should be upholding justice and protecting the sanctity of native rights.
“I join my voice with the EPU to condemn this reckless abuse of office. More dangerously, the reported manipulation of compensation records to divert benefits to non-native communities—especially to Ibeno interests—amounts to an inflammatory provocation. If the reports of false claims being rubber-stamped through the Lands Ministry are true, then we are looking at nothing short of state-sponsored subversion of peace, ethnic incitement, and economic sabotage of the Ekid Nation”.
He warned that the Ekid Nation “will not sit idly by while an appointee of government desecrates our heritage, insults our ancestors, and mocks our intelligence. We will not allow the Lands Ministry to become a weapon of ethnic domination and fraudulent redistribution of native land. We will not tolerate the distortion of Akwa Ibom State’s official map as established by the 2023 Map Law for the convenience of energy companies or the political agenda of any group”.
He therefore called on the Commissioner to “cease all further acquisition or documentation activities on Ekid land with immediate effect.
“Must stop collaborating with companies and individuals who have no respect for native ownership or due process. He must stop stoking dangerous tensions between two peace-inclined neighbours for purposes best known to him”.
Essien said, “any attempt to silence Ekid voices, suppress rightful claims, or bulldoze ancestral lands will be fiercely resisted—legally, peacefully, but resolutely. This is not just a land matter; it is a fight for dignity, identity, and justice.
“The State Government must act now to withdraw its tacit complicity and set the record straight before this crisis explodes. Tulcan Energy must immediately suspend all operations pending proper consultation and community consent.
“We call on all security agencies, civil society organizations, and the international community to take note: A grave injustice is brewing in the heart of Akwa Ibom State, and unless urgently addressed, the consequences will be devastating and far-reaching”.
