Akwa Ibom Oil Communities on Brink of Conflict Over Stubbs Creek Forest Reserve

Map of Akwa ibom and Stubbs Creek Forest Reserve

Aggrieved leaders, elders, youths, and stakeholders from the oil and gas host communities of Ibeno and Ekid ethnic nationalities in Akwa Ibom State are threatening to reignite longstanding hostilities over the contentious ownership of the Stubbs Creek Forest Reserve.

At the center of the renewed dispute is the Ekid Progressives Union (EPU), the apex socio-cultural organization of the Ekid people, led by its President-General, Dr. Samuel Udonsak.

The group has issued a stern warning to their coastal neighbours, the Ibeno people, to withdraw all claims to the forest reserve or face the potential resumption of hostilities conflicts which have previously caused unrest in the region.

Governor’s Peace Initiative Rejected
In response to escalating tensions, the state governor reportedly offered to mediate the dispute by personally chairing a peace committee.

However, the Ekid leadership rejected this move, alleging that the governor had already compromised his neutrality by allegedly “balkanizing” the forest reserve and allocating portions of it to oil companies, including the BUA Petrochemical, Refinery, and Fertilizer Company.

The rejection of the governor’s peace efforts underscores the depth of mistrust and the intensity of the territorial claims by the Ekid people, who insist that the land was unjustly ceded without due consultation or recognition of their ancestral rights.

Ibeno Fires Back: Ekid Propagating Falsehoods
In a swift reaction, the Ibeno Traditional Rulers Council dismissed the Ekid claims as “fabricated lies” aimed at annexing territory that historically and legally belongs to Ibeno.

XSpeaking on behalf of the Council at a press conference held on Sunday in Ukpenekang, the headquarters of Ibeno Local Government Area, the council’s spokesperson, Chief Udofia Okon Udofia, described the allegations as “desperately concocted falsehoods meant to give lies a human face.”

“We challenged them in our last statement to produce documents to support their claims,they ignored it again,” “Instead, they have chosen media theatrics over legal substance.”said Udofia.

He accused the Ekid of retreating from government-led peace initiatives and exhibiting “high-handedness” whenever dialogue was proposed.

“Eket people have become experts in historical fiction and drama,” he added.

Legal Status: Matter is Sub Judice
Udofia also reminded the public that the dispute over the Stubbs Creek Forest Reserve is currently sub judice, as the matter is under active litigation in court. He warned that the continuous public commentary and campaigning on the issue by the Ekid community amounts to contempt of court.

Cultural Tensions and Allegations of “Voodoo Politics”
The Ibeno group went further to condemn what they described as “voodoo politics,” accusing a prominent daughter of Eket of conducting libation rituals in the forest an act they claimed violates traditional norms, as women are traditionally not permitted to perform such rites.

“This is not only an affront to the state government but also a desecration of our traditions,” “Eket cannot continue to cry foul when they are the ones flouting the very customs they claim to uphold.” Ibeno stakeholders declared.

The group posed a rhetorical question to their rivals: “What do the Ekid people really want—peace or war?”

Call for Concrete Evidence, Not Oral Claims
The Ibeno leaders also criticized the reliance on oral history, media interviews, and emotional rhetoric,particularly the symbolism of a woman pouring libation as insufficient to establish legitimate claims to the forest reserve.

“If the Ekid people want to be taken seriously in a land or resource dispute of this magnitude, they must provide verifiable documentation,” Udofia insisted.

He outlined the types of evidence required to establish legitimate ownership to include:

Historical land grants, surveys, or treaties (e.g., colonial-era boundary maps),Court judgments or government gazettes assigning ownership,Land title documents or lease agreements,Formal community resolutions and Proof of continuous occupation or traditional jurisdiction over the Stubbs Creek area

He said until such documentation is produced, the Ibeno leadership maintains that the Ekid claim remains speculative and inflammatory.