Akwa Ibom Community, Police Differ Over Nine Missing Children

TUESDAY March 25, 2025 |
By thenewsdesk.ng

The Youth President of Ndito Eka Iba Village in the Ibeno Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State, Mr Ukot Robert, has stated that nine children from the community are still missing following the Christmas Eve attack on the village, ThePUNCH reports.

He listed the names of the missing children to include Emmanuel Udoeka, 11; Happiness John, 8, Ikotiye Okon, 6; Thompson John, 3; Friday Moses, 4; John Mfon, 9; Gabriel Akpan, 8; Susana Peter, 7 and Ubong Benselem, 14.

The Commissioner of Police, Baba Mohammed Azare, however, faulted the report of the missing children, describing it as untrue and fabricated.

He said such a report was not known to the police in the state, challenging the purveyors to declare the identities of the parents.

“Don’t help people fuel their imaginations, you know people will just sit down to create confusion and at the end of the day they are telling lies.

“It’s not true, those who brought that information should prove it

“If it’s true, why didn’t they report the matter to the police till now?

“We have been achieving peace but they don’t want peace to reign. Such information is not known to the police anywhere in Akwa Ibom,” he said.

Robert, who spoke with journalists in Ibeno on Monday, amid reports that their neighbours in Eket and Esit Eket were allegedly planning another round of hostility, lamented that villagers were being ambushed and maimed along the coastal axis of the community.

He said the youth had apprehended and handed over to the police five persons who attempted to destroy properties after the December 24, 2024, unwarranted attack.

“Ibeno East comprises 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.

“All these villages are officially gazetted communities in Ibeno LGA, but neighbours from Eket and Esit Eket have continually instigated crises in the area to cede these communities to Eket LG, leading to the loss of lives and the disappearance of nine people, including children,” Robert said.

He alleged that the children went missing because of the attack in Ndito Eka Iba before the Christmas Day attack.

“For people to remain missing from December 2024 till now in that carnage means that they may have been killed.

“The community had set up a search party to look for them, while the incident was reported to the police for further investigation,” he stated.

He blamed the government, under the past administration of former Governor Udom Emmanuel, for the attempt to remap Ibeno LG and cede some villages to other LGs.

A survivor of the attack, Mr Uwem Ekaete and father of four shared how his 14-year-old son, Ubong, went missing till now.

“I lost my 14-year-old son to the attack. I don’t know where he is right now or if he has been killed by the attackers.

“When the problem started, we were all packing a few things to leave the village. He also took some things and put them outside.

“Suddenly, we sighted the hoodlums coming to the compound and we ran away to escape. I ran to Nta Ikang village, a nearby community, after that, I did not see my son, Ubong again.

“I came back to ask other people but till now, we cannot find him. I am appealing to the government to help us,” he said.

The Chairman of Ndito Eka Iba Village Council, Mr Ime Nkanga, said throughout his 40 years living in Ndito Eka Iba, which is in Ward 10 with 5 Units, Ibeno LG had been a peaceful community until the eventful day.

He appealed to the government to restore peace in Ndito Eka Iba Village and indeed Ibeno East and also provide succour for them, as lives and properties were lost to the crisis, including children.

The Ijaw Youth Chairman in Ibeno LG, Emmanuel Opolo, warned Eket and Esit Eket neighbours against escalating the crisis.

He called on the federal and state governments to step in to nib the crisis in the bud.