A/Ibom Community Petitions SSS Over Beheading Of Members By Hoodlums

Enwang Community, in Mbo Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom
State, has petitioned the Director-General of the Department of
State Services (DSS), Mr. Yusuf Magaji Bichi, over the alleged
beheading of members of the community by assailants from a
neighbouring community, Uko Nteghe Uda.

The petitioners alleged further that the severed heads of the
victims were taken away by the attackers.

It said the attackers completely razed 14 houses and set other
houses ablaze including the residence of former Inspector-General
of Police, late Mr. Etim Inyang.

The petition titled; “a Petition and Pasionate Appeal for the
Investigation of the Unprovoked Invasion and Attack of the People
of Enwang Community, Headquarters of Mbo Local Government of Akwa
Ibom State By their Uko Nteghe Usa neighbours,” said four members
of the Enwang community were beheaded while the attackers made away
with heads of the victims.

The National Coordinator, Society for the Promotion of Human
Rights and Justice, Mr. Udo Eke-Okon, who signed said the invasion
of the community was triggered by the rape of a 50-year-old woman
in the community.

“The prelude to the organised invasion of Enwang community
happened in the morning of Wednesday, 6th of January, 2021, when an
Uko Nteghe Uda carpenter named Mr. Eteka Edet John, a.k.a
Barrister, accosted a 50-year-old, Mrs. Arit Asuquo of Eyo Atabia
Ufiok in Uko Akpan Enwang, who went to fetch firewood and
mercilessly raped her, after thoroughly beating her to
submission.

“This matter was officially reported and incidented at the
Divisional Police Headquarters in Enwang. However, the Police did
not prosecute the case further, as they alleged that “the big men”
of Uko Nteghe Uda have intervened and “killed the matter.”

The community said militants from the neighbouring community
launched the first attack on farmers, who were cultivating their
farmland.

“As this is the time of the year when our people normally
prepare their farmlands for cultivation, on Tuesday, the 19th of
January, 2021, a section of the Enwang community, notably Eyo Evai,
Eyo Ukut, Eyo Udombo and part of Uko Akpan villages who have over
the years exclusively farmed Uko Ateni, went to the said farmland
to clear and prepare it for cultivation.

“For the avoidance of doubt, part of this farmland has been a
cause for legal disputes for years now between Uko Akai Uko Akpan
in Enwang and Uko Akai Uko Nteghe in Uda. It needs be emphasised
here that the group of villages of the Enwang community who went
for the clearing of Uko Ateni did so on the strength of the Oron
High Court Judgement in Suit No HOR/1/2013 delivered by Hon Justice
Theresa E Obot on 19th February, 2020, which ruled that the
communities should restrict themselves to their ancestral
boundaries,” it said.

The petitioners noted that the judgement was never appealed by
the people of Uko Nteghe Uda. The judgement declared in part “that
the Uko Akai Uko Akpan people and Uko Akai Uko Nteghe people shall
continue to share and cultivate their communal land as they have
been doing since time immemorial.”

The Enwang natives said “the unexpected and bloody attack did
not stop in the farmland but, many heavily armed Uko Nteghe
militants and their mercenaries also invaded Enwang and damaged and
burned several buildings on the same day.”

The petition said the militants launched another attack on the
community while at a meeting with officials of Akwa Ibom State
government, who had intervened in the matter.

“The casualties recorded at the end of this beastly orgy of
violence by Uko Nteghe Uda included but notl limited to the
following; five Enwan males and one female were shot dead, beheaded
and their heads taken away.

The corpse of Mr Emmanuel Nkudah, a 70-year old cathecist of the
Catholic Church Uko-Ekpan has not been recovered. Mr. Peter Sunday
suffered matchet cuts on the arm. A brand new motorcycle belonging
to Matthew Asuquo, several other motorcycles car were burnt.

“Mr. Elisha Enenim Akang was abducted alive and nothing is heard
of him till date. Nineteen persons suffered serious bullet shots
and are still undergoing bullets extraction and treatments,” it
said.

The petitioners, are, therefore, urging the the DG DSS to
conduct a thourough investigation into the matter with a view to
unravelling the culprits and their sponsors in order to bring them
to justice.

“We hereby most respectfully appeal to the DG DSS to use his
good office to direct a thorough investigation into the matter with
the aim of bringing the perpetrators and their sponsors to justice.
This is the only way to bring about closure of this sad event and
the ugly scars it has left in the psyche and memory of Enwang
people.

“Specifically, I respectfully request that you kindly use your
good office to give directives for investigation covering, but not
limited to the following; the source of funds used to hire
mercenaries and procure arms and ammunitions by Uko Nteghe for the
attacks.

“The source of illegal weapons used by Uko Nteghe militants.
Bring to justice all sponsors and the external militants hired for
the cowardly attack on Enwang,” the community said.

Enwang Community, in Mbo Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom
State, has petitioned the Director-General of the Department of
State Services (DSS), Mr. Yusuf Magaji Bichi, over the alleged
beheading of members of the community by assailants from a
neighbouring community, Uko Nteghe Uda.

The petitioners alleged further that the severed heads of the
victims were taken away by the attackers.

It said the attackers completely razed 14 houses and set other
houses ablaze including the residence of former Inspector-General
of Police, late Mr. Etim Inyang.

The petition titled; “a Petition and Pasionate Appeal for the
Investigation of the Unprovoked Invasion and Attack of the People
of Enwang Community, Headquarters of Mbo Local Government of Akwa
Ibom State By their Uko Nteghe Usa neighbours,” said four members
of the Enwang community were beheaded while the attackers made away
with heads of the victims.

The National Coordinator, Society for the Promotion of Human
Rights and Justice, Mr. Udo Eke-Okon, who signed said the invasion
of the community was triggered by the rape of a 50-year-old woman
in the community.

“The prelude to the organised invasion of Enwang community
happened in the morning of Wednesday, 6th of January, 2021, when an
Uko Nteghe Uda carpenter named Mr. Eteka Edet John, a.k.a
Barrister, accosted a 50-year-old, Mrs. Arit Asuquo of Eyo Atabia
Ufiok in Uko Akpan Enwang, who went to fetch firewood and
mercilessly raped her, after thoroughly beating her to
submission.

“This matter was officially reported and incidented at the
Divisional Police Headquarters in Enwang. However, the Police did
not prosecute the case further, as they alleged that “the big men”
of Uko Nteghe Uda have intervened and “killed the matter.”

The community said militants from the neighbouring community
launched the first attack on farmers, who were cultivating their
farmland.

“As this is the time of the year when our people normally
prepare their farmlands for cultivation, on Tuesday, the 19th of
January, 2021, a section of the Enwang community, notably Eyo Evai,
Eyo Ukut, Eyo Udombo and part of Uko Akpan villages who have over
the years exclusively farmed Uko Ateni, went to the said farmland
to clear and prepare it for cultivation.

“For the avoidance of doubt, part of this farmland has been a
cause for legal disputes for years now between Uko Akai Uko Akpan
in Enwang and Uko Akai Uko Nteghe in Uda. It needs be emphasised
here that the group of villages of the Enwang community who went
for the clearing of Uko Ateni did so on the strength of the Oron
High Court Judgement in Suit No HOR/1/2013 delivered by Hon Justice
Theresa E Obot on 19th February, 2020, which ruled that the
communities should restrict themselves to their ancestral
boundaries,” it said.

The petitioners noted that the judgement was never appealed by
the people of Uko Nteghe Uda. The judgement declared in part “that
the Uko Akai Uko Akpan people and Uko Akai Uko Nteghe people shall
continue to share and cultivate their communal land as they have
been doing since time immemorial.”

The Enwang natives said “the unexpected and bloody attack did
not stop in the farmland but, many heavily armed Uko Nteghe
militants and their mercenaries also invaded Enwang and damaged and
burned several buildings on the same day.”

The petition said the militants launched another attack on the
community while at a meeting with officials of Akwa Ibom State
government, who had intervened in the matter.

“The casualties recorded at the end of this beastly orgy of
violence by Uko Nteghe Uda included but notl limited to the
following; five Enwan males and one female were shot dead, beheaded
and their heads taken away.

The corpse of Mr Emmanuel Nkudah, a 70-year old cathecist of the
Catholic Church Uko-Ekpan has not been recovered. Mr. Peter Sunday
suffered matchet cuts on the arm. A brand new motorcycle belonging
to Matthew Asuquo, several other motorcycles car were burnt.

“Mr. Elisha Enenim Akang was abducted alive and nothing is heard
of him till date. Nineteen persons suffered serious bullet shots
and are still undergoing bullets extraction and treatments,” it
said.

The petitioners, are, therefore, urging the the DG DSS to
conduct a thourough investigation into the matter with a view to
unravelling the culprits and their sponsors in order to bring them
to justice.

“We hereby most respectfully appeal to the DG DSS to use his
good office to direct a thorough investigation into the matter with
the aim of bringing the perpetrators and their sponsors to justice.
This is the only way to bring about closure of this sad event and
the ugly scars it has left in the psyche and memory of Enwang
people.

“Specifically, I respectfully request that you kindly use your
good office to give directives for investigation covering, but not
limited to the following; the source of funds used to hire
mercenaries and procure arms and ammunitions by Uko Nteghe for the
attacks.

“The source of illegal weapons used by Uko Nteghe militants.
Bring to justice all sponsors and the external militants hired for
the cowardly attack on Enwang,” the community said.