The Akwa Ibom State Government has dismissed claims by the Ekid People’s Union asserting ownership of the disputed Stubbs Creek Forest Reserve, reaffirming that the land remains a government-controlled reserve. Governor Umo Eno warned that the state would exercise its authority over the Reserve and vowed to prevent any attempts to obstruct the ongoing Lagos–Calabar Coastal Highway project passing through the area.
In a statement released by the state’s Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Uko Udom (SAN), the government emphasized that, despite a pending court case filed by the Ekid People’s Union, the matter is addressed in the overriding public interest. Udom cited the historic case of Ntiaro and Ikpak v. Ibok Etok Akpan and Edoho Ekid (1918), which did not grant ownership of the land to any ethnic group or community, and warned that contrary interpretations circulating publicly were misleading.
The statement further explained that the Stubbs Creek land was formally constituted as a forest reserve by the Colonial Government under Forest Reserve Order No. 45 of 1930, with subsequent amendments in 1941, 1955, and 1962. Upon its reservation, principal rights over the land were forfeited to the government, which has administered the area according to applicable laws.
Referencing the 1999 Constitution and the Land Use Act, Udom clarified that all land within Akwa Ibom State is vested in the Governor to be held in trust for the use and benefit of all Nigerians. He stressed that claims of exclusive ownership based on ancestral or customary assertions are subject to existing legal frameworks.
The government also denied allegations of fraud or misrepresentation concerning the Reserve or related investments and warned that it would take legal action against individuals or groups spreading false, misleading, or defamatory information that could undermine public confidence or deter infrastructural development in the state.