The Inua Eyet Ikot Community in Ibeno Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State, have been deserted after a midnight attack last weekend in which property worth millions of naira was destroyed by suspected hoodlums from their neighbouring Esit Eket council area.
The small oil and gas rich Inua Eyet Ikot community in Ibeno hosts the ExxonMobil Qua Iboe terminal facility and also have BUA’s petrol chemical factory under construction in their domain.
Conducting Journalists round the terribly damaged schools, clinics and people’s homes yesterday, the emeritus village council chairman, Chief Nta Edyang, lamented that the damaged buildings, farms and other facilities were valued at over N100 million.
According to him, ” A couple of days ago, we were woken up to the invasion from our Esit Eket neigh- bors at midnight with massive attacks on our farms, clinic, schools and people’s homes which were all brought down to rubbles.
“The invaders came at midnight well-armed and people fled into the bushes, from where they overheard them using sledge hammers and other destructive equipment to destroy properties that we laboured to build to foundation level.
“The sole reason for the latest at- tack is not unconnected with ongoing petrochemical factory project which is being built in our community by BUA group.
The hoodlums claim our village is their land and even hosted a flag after the destruction, written ‘Ibeno beware, we won’t tolerate your conspiracy with state government to take our land’.
He further revealed, “We have reported the matter to the State Police Commissioner who visited the area in the company of other security agencies to see the level of damage and appealed to us to remain calm while investigation is ongoing.”
