Tension has flared between Inua Eyet Ikot village and neighboring communities in Esit Eket Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State over the location of a BUA petrochemical factory.
Reports indicate that hoodlums, allegedly from Esit Eket, launched a midnight attack on Inua Eyet Ikot village, causing extensive damage to property worth over N100 million.
Chief Nta Edyang, former chairman of the Inua Eyet Ikot village council, recounted that the attackers destroyed buildings, farms, schools, and other facilities, leaving them in ruins. He described how the community was woken in the dead of night by the armed invaders, who used sledgehammers and other tools to destroy property. Fearing for their safety, many villagers fled into the bush.
The attack is believed to be linked to the ongoing construction of the BUA petrochemical factory in the village. The assailants reportedly claimed the land as their own, even raising a flag and threatening the village with a message that read: “Ibeno beware, we won’t tolerate your conspiracy with the state government to take our land.”
The incident has been reported to the police, and Akwa Ibom State’s police commissioner, along with other security agencies, visited the affected area to investigate.
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