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By Etim Etim

Since many people might not have heard of Stubbs Creek Reserve before, I will begin with a little description. It is a forest reserve located in the southern part of Akwa Ibom State, covering approximately 310.8 sq. km. Officially established in 1930, it is reputed to be the largest remaining forest in the state and is home to diverse ecosystems, including freshwater, mangrove swamps, and beach ridges, providing a habitat for various flora and fauna species. In the last few years, the reserve has been a subject of controversy, with Eket and Ibeno people, two neighbouring communities, claiming ownership. Ekid People’s Union (EPU), the umbrella association of Eket people, have been most vocal, militant and aggressive in their approach. They constantly refer to a 1918 Privy Council judgment and other colonial era documents in making their claims. However, Akwa Ibom State government maintains its authority over the reserve, citing the 1999 Constitution and the Land Use Act.

Eket and Ibeno have had a long history frosty relationships over the decades that ExxonMobil operated in the two communities. Mobil’s main production platform, Qua Iboe Terminal (QIT), is located in Ibeno, while the airstrip (now moribund) and other assets like offices and residential accommodation are in Eket. The two communities continued to coexist as rivals, perpetually at each other’s throat, fighting over supremacy and attention of the oil company. Mobil and the state government worked extra hard to keep the peace, and to a large extent, there were more peaceful times than tensed moments. The ownership of the Stubbs creek reserve was not the issue then. It should also be noted that prior to the creation of Local government areas by the Abacha government, Ibeno was under Eket division. But on December 4, 1996, the federal government created Ibeno LGA and hundreds of others across the country. Eket people felt a little grated at the ‘’independence’’ of Ibeno and since then, tensions have defined their relations…something like the Ife-Modakeke relationship in Osun State.

But in this case, it is EPU’s arrogant, militant and belligerent tactics that have offended Akwa Ibom people and set them up against the state government. Recent tensions arose during the last administration when the state government parceled out a portion of the reserve to BUA Group for construction of a fertilizer plant. EPU went into unimaginable rage, stating that the government has no right to give out a part of the land. I got in touch with the chairman of EPU, Dr. Samuel Udonsak and its Secretary General, Barr. Bassey Dan-Abia jnr, and told them bluntly that their activities were tantamount to importing militancy into Akwa Ibom, a place long renowned for its ambience, peace and conduciveness.

In our several conversations, I cautioned against the use of threats, violence and belligerency as a tool for negotiations and reminded them of the underdevelopment of the Niger Delta region due to similar tactics. I said that the reason Aliko Dangote did not site his refinery in the region was the fear of violence. That’s what the industrialist himself told me in 2024 when I visited the facility in 2024 with other journalists. But EPU was not persuaded. They continued to issue numerous press statements, insisting on the ownership of the land and asking the government to stay away. At a point, social media influencers sympathetic to EPU’s cause joined the campaign, fabricating falsehoods and pouring invectives on state officials.

Last week, the police announced the arraignment of Ms Godsown Udoito, a young social media influencer with considerable following, over allegations of ‘’criminal defamation, threats, publication of false information and conduct likely to cause a breach of public peace’’. According to the police, the charges arose from a petition dated 10th January, 2026 which alleged that Ms Udoito was using her Facebook account to defame the state governor. She actually claimed that the governor had sold the Stubbs creek reserve and pocketed the proceeds, among other ridiculous and baseless allegations. Such a criminal defamation couldn’t go unpunished. With a Facebook followers exceeding 20,000, Ms Udoito is well known in the Facebook community and she sure has a case to answer. The police will have to unravel her motives. Was she acting at the behest of EPU and other persons? Could those persons be held for vicarious liability? Her offences, according to the police, is a violation of the provisions of Criminal Code Law, cap 39, vol. 2, Laws of Akwa Ibom State, 2022, and the Internal Security and Enforcement Law, cap 73, vol. 4, Laws of Akwa Ibom State, 2022. Others will learn from her unwarranted exhuberance and her sponsors should be brought to book.

It is disingenuous that some politicians have tried to politicize this matter and gain some advantage ahead of next year’s polls. In a press release issued soon after the police announced Ms Udoito’s charges, ADC, an opposition party in the state, published a statement indicating that Senator John Udoedehe, the party’s leader in the state, has condemned the arrest of Ms Udoito. The statement noted that she’s a member of the party. It reads: ‘’Udoedehe said the arrest of Udoito, a member of African Democratic Congress, and grassroots mobilizer is provocative and capable of inciting civil unrest as that is clearly a discreet attempt by the government to clamp down on opposition in the state and free speech’’. Expectedly, APC has jumped in to defend the governor. In a 12-paragraph statement, the State Publicity Secretary, Barr. OtoAbasi Udo, wrote: ‘’APC unequivocally condemns the reckless, incendiary and politically arsonist outburst by the ADC, credited to Senator John James Akpanudoedehe, which has nothing to do with citizens’ engagement and everything to do with desperation, mischief and deliberate attempt to incite unrest…ADC’s dishonest attempt to rebrand lawful action as persecution of opposition is a dangerous lie’’.

I will like to advise ADC and other opposition elements not to mix politics with security matters with intent to mislead the people. Ms Udoito is charged with criminal defamation and false publication and she should be allowed to have her day in court and defend herself. She’s not charged for her political activism or activities. Defamation and fabrications of falsehoods is a serious offence. Senator Udoedehe himself has been a victim of such false accusations in the past, including accusation of murder and that’s why I doubt that he had endorsed the statement credited to him. His arrest in 2011 was not a pleasant experience for him and we all rose up to stand with him shoulder to shoulder. He should therefore understand the pain Udoito’s publications had caused the governor. I was also been a victim of a campaign of calumny in 2013. It was a painful experience, and that’s why I sympathize with Gov. Umo Eno. It is important for ADC to play its roles as an opposition political party and provide alternatives views on issues of governance, civil liberties and social welfare with intellectual rigor, sophistication and panache. That is how to attract public support. Supporting criminal activities in an attempt to position for the politics of 2027 will be counterproductive. Senator Udoedehe should carefully rebrand himself and choose his messages and messaging sensibly.

As for the Ekid Peoples Union (EPU), I have noted the softening of position in their last press statement in which they asked the government to ‘’de reserve’’ the Stubbs Creek before it could allocated for industrial purpose. This is an opening for rapprochement for the government to consider.