Stubbs Creek Forest Reserve: You’re Parading Vacuous, Fraudulent Historical Facts – Barr Akpanika Slams Eket

Sunday October 5, 2025
By TheNewsDESK |

By Our CORRESPONDENT

Again, the battle over Stubbs Creek Forest Reserve has escalated into a war of words as Ibeno Attorney, Barrister Diamond Akpanika, has launched a blistering attack on Eket’s claims, branding them as “historical falsehoods, outlandish fabrications, and a desperate bid to rewrite history.”

In his response to Eket’s recent publications at Upenekang on Sunday, Akpanika did not mince words.

“Let Eket tell the world who they are and where they came from. If Stubbs Creek truly belongs to them, where is the proof?

“Show us the receipts of royalties ever paid to Eket by the government. Produce your documents or stop deceiving the people.”

Akpanika, citing historians including Darin Ford (The History of Southern People) and Sir Udo Udoma (The Story of Ibibio Union), insisted that Eket people migrated from Ibeno before moving northwards, stressing that “no Ibibio ever lived by the Atlantic coast.”

He maintained that Ibeno, not Eket, were the true coastal custodians who opened up the waterways for Portuguese and thereafter European traders, controlled markets, and received royalties from British traders.

“All archival records prove that royalties, whether £2, £30, or £132 as it then was, were paid only to Ibeno. None went to Eket.

“If they dispute this, let them argue with good proof of documentation. I know, they cannot, because it does not exist,” he thundered.

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

He further accused Eket of opportunism, saying their “Eket People’s Union” was hastily formed to annexe Esit Eket in a ploy to build a false front against Ibeno.

Akpanika also revisited the colonial ordinances of 1930, 1937, and 1955, which he said clearly recognized Ibeno ownership.

According to him, “The public is now aware that Ibeno are the true owners of the Stubbs Creek, which has increased Eket’s frustration to the point of inciting ‘Fathers’ of Faith’ in the State against Ibeno, after a failed bid to get the the support of the State Traditional Rulers Council.

“Eket has also deployed other failed strategies, including sponsoring one princess Udoito, a female witch doctor to conduct voodo power against the governor.

Akpanika added that, beyond all these, the state government is very firm in resolving the crisis by proposing a peace committee, which Eket rejected.

Finally, Akpanika noted, while the world awaits Eket to respect and appear before the proposed Peace Committee to be chaired by Governor Umo Eno to settle the crisis, Eket is rather running from pilar to post with “vacuous and fraudulent” historical facts knowing that, they don’t have an inch in the Stubbs Creek.