The Ekid Development Union, a major ethnic group in Akwa Ibom State, has expressed concern over the invasion of the Stubbs Creek Forest, a biodiversity sanctuary, by the Ibeno Local Government Area.
The community claims that the Ibeno LGA, with the support of security agents, is illegally developing the forest without the consent of the Ekid people.
In a statement signed by the union’s President-General, Dr. Samuel Udonsak, and Secretary-General, Barr. Bassey Dan-Abia, the Ekid community said the Ibeno LGA is constructing a health center and other structures on their land at Odoro Okuku within the Stubbs Creek Forest, also known as Akoiyak. The union described the invasion as a “grave provocation” and a violation of their rights, citing the 1948 Forest Reserve Ordinance.
The Ekid leaders emphasized that the Stubbs Creek Forest is home to a rich variety of flora and fauna and that any development in the area would damage the ecosystem. They also noted that the forest was historically reserved for conservation and is vital to the community’s cultural and environmental heritage.
“It has come to our attention that agents of Ibeno Local Government, in connivance with the State Ministry of Lands, have cleared large areas of our land to build a health facility without our consent,” the statement read. “This development is a grave provocation and a violation of the rights of Ekid people.”
The Ekid community also pointed out that the Akwa Ibom State Governor, Pastor Umo Eno, had issued a directive on March 1, 2024, forbidding any further development on the Stubbs Creek Forest. However, they claim that this order has been ignored, and construction continues.
“When His Excellency, the Governor of Akwa Ibom, visited in the aftermath of the crisis, he promised to remove all illegal structures in the Stubbs Creek Forest. But instead of removing them, more permanent structures are being built, in violation of the law,” the statement added.
The union urged the state government and relevant authorities to respect the governor’s directive and halt the construction activities immediately to avoid further conflict. They also highlighted a 1918 Privy Council judgment, which confirmed the Ekid people’s ownership of the lands from Qua Iboe River to Child Point, including Stubbs Creek Forest.
“As peaceful and law-abiding people, we demand that the Ibeno Local Government and the Akwa Ibom State Government cease all development in the forest and respect our rights,” the Ekid community stated.
The Ekid people fear that further encroachment on their land could lead to tensions and conflicts, and they have called on the government to prevent such an outcome by enforcing the existing laws that protect the forest.
