Only Proof of Ownership Can Settle Akwa Ibom Forest Reserve Dispute – Lawyer

Amid the ongoing ownership dispute over the Stubbs Creek Forest Reserve between two oil-rich communities,the Ibeno and Ekid ethnic nationalities of Akwa Ibom State,the lawyer representing Ibeno, Barrister Diamond Akpanika, has emphasized that only documented evidence can ease the prevailing tension and restore peace.

Ekid elders have lamented that church leaders (“Fathers of Faith”), traditional institutions, and other allies of Ekid have distanced themselves from their calls for justice. 

Meanwhile, the State government has refused to be intimidated by Princess Udoito, who has resorted to invoking the traditional god of Ekid to support their cause.

In response, Barrister Akpanika challenged the Ekid nation to produce documented proof of ownership of the vast forest reserve that stretches across four local government areas in the state. He urged them to abandon “historical falsehoods, outlandish fabrications, and desperate attempts to rewrite history.”

Speaking in an interview on Sunday in Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital, the veteran lawyer pointed out that the Ekid’s appeal to the church, traditional institutions, and their allies “indicates a lack of evidence to support their unfounded claims over the forest.”

“Let Eket tell the world who they are and where they came from. If Stubbs Creek Forest truly belongs to them, where is the proof? Show us the records of royalties ever paid to Ekid by the government. Produce your documents or stop deceiving the people,” he insisted.

Citing historians such as Darin Ford (The History of Southern People) and Sir Udo Udoma (The Story of Ibibio Union), Akpanika argued that the Ekid people migrated from Ibeno before moving northwards, emphasizing that “no Ibibio people ever lived by the Atlantic coast.”

He maintained that Ibeno, not Ekid, are the true coastal custodians who opened the waterways for the Portuguese and subsequently European traders, controlled the markets, and received royalties from British traders.

“All archival records prove that royalties whether £2, £30, or £132 at the time were paid only to Ibeno. None went to Ekid. If they dispute this, let them present documented evidence. I know they cannot because it does not exist,” he stated.

The lawyer dismissed Ekid’s reliance on the Talbot map, reminding them that the only land Ekid obtained was 800 acres at Ntak Inyang “a speck compared to the thousands of hectares belonging to Ibeno.”

He accused them of opportunism, alleging that the Ekid People’s Union (EPU), their umbrella socio-cultural organization, was hastily formed to annex Esit Eket as part of a ploy to build a false front against Ibeno.

Akpanika also referred to colonial ordinances from 1930, 1937, and 1955, which he said clearly recognized Ibeno ownership.

He stated, “The public now knows that Ibeno are the true owners of Stubbs Creek, which has increased Ekid’s frustration to the point of inciting the ‘Fathers of Faith’ in the state against Ibeno, after failing to secure the support of the State Traditional Rulers Council.”

“Ekid has also employed other failed strategies, including sponsoring Princess Udoito, a female witch doctor, to conduct voodoo rituals against the governor.”

Akpanika added that despite these challenges, the State government remains firm in resolving the crisis through the formation of a peace committee—a proposal that, according to him, Ekid has rejected.