Akwa Ibom: Ex – Gov. Udom’s Remapping Project Raises Fresh Anxiety Over Missing Children In Ibeno
By Dennis Udoma
Two years after Ex – Governor Udom Emmanuel left office, anxiety continues to rise at Ndito Eka Iba community in Ibeno Local Government of Akwa Ibom State as the whereabouts of nine missing children raises fresh concerns.
Youth President, Mr Ukot Robert disclosed this to newsmen in Ibeno on Saturday saying, the 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 communities in the Eastern part of Ibeno LGA.
He said, the youths 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 21, 2024 attack.
According to the Youth leader, “Ibeno East includes 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, and all these villages are officially gazetted communities in Ibeno LGA, but their neighbours from Eket and Esit Eket have continually been perpetuating crisis in the area to cede these communities to Eket LGA leading to lost of lives and many people missing, including the children.
“Parents have been looking for some of their children after the incident but to no avail”, he said, adding that those children got missing because of the attack in Ndito Eka Iba prior to Christmas Day attack.
“For people to miss from December 2024 till now in that carnage means that they may 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”, he stated.
Mr Ukot Robert who narrated his ordeal told our correspondent and listed the names of the missing children to include: 11 years old Emmanuel Udoeka, Happiness, John 8 years old, Ikotiye Okon, 6, Thompson John, 3, Friday Moses, 4, John Mfon, 9, Gabriel Akpan, 8, Susana Peter, 7 and Ubong Benselem, 14.
He reasoned that the attacks on Ibeno are as a result of the controversial attempt by former Governor Udom Emmanuel to remap Ibeno Local Government and cede some villages in Ibeno to other Local Government Areas and noted that the case is presently in court.
He said, the former Governor attempted the remapping so that he would under the guise cede oil bearing villages in nearby LGAs into his Local Government Area in Onna, including Eket, Esit Eket, Mkpat Enin, and Ikot Abasi LGAs so as to benefit from the 3 per cent contributions by oil companies under the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA).
He alleged that it was as a result of this that some people from Eket and Esit Eket led by one Aniedi Bassey a k.a Capital, living in Ndito Eka Iba village to fish and trade 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 done correctly to avoid having issues with the village council. And they started challenging us, as their boys came out with matchetes 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 surprise to see our Eket neighbours rise against Ibono people and others living in Ndito Eka Iba village; destroying lives, properties, and maiming people, while some children went missing”, Mr Robert narrated.
Also, another survivor of the attack, Mr Uwem Bensalem Ekaete and father of four shared his experience 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. 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 beat 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 cannot find him. I am appealing to the government to help us.”
Others who corroborated the community youth president’s account were Mrs Precious Akwa and former Chairman of Ndito Eka Iba Village Council, Mr Ime Alfred Nkanga, who said throughout his 40 years living in Ndito Eka Iba, which is in Ward 10 with 5 Units, Ibeno Local Government Area had been a peaceful community, until the eventful day when the hoodlums alleged to have come from Eket attacked them and destroyed their properties.
They appealed to the state government to restore lasting peace in Ndito Eka Iba village and indeed Ibeno East and also provide sucour to them as lives and properties were lost to the crisis, including children.
The Ijaw Youth Chairman in Ibeno LGA, Comrade Emmanuel Opolo, in his reaction warned that, their Eket and Esit Eket neighbours were pushing Ibeno to retaliate, having attacked Ibeno four times between February 2024 to February 2025.
He therefore urged both the state and federal governments to step in to nip this recurring problems in the bud before it would escalate to full blown communal war.
