At least 12 persons sustained gunshot injuries and several houses were razed following a fresh outbreak of violence in Inua Eyet Ikot, a community in Ibeno Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State.
The attack, which reportedly occurred in the early hours of Friday, has been blamed on suspected assailants from neighbouring Eket LGA.
The renewed violence is the latest episode in a long-standing boundary dispute between the two LGAs over ownership of the Stubbs Creek Forest Reserve, a contentious issue that has lingered for years and claimed multiple lives.
Eyewitnesses said the attackers stormed the community around 1:30 a.m., firing sporadically and setting buildings ablaze.
Several residents, including Mr. Daniel Asuquo, popularly known as “Dan Baba”, were caught in the crossfire and sustained serious injuries.
“At about 1:30 a.m. on Friday, we heard gunshots and quickly alerted the police,” a resident, who asked not to be named, told our correspondent. “By the time the police arrived, the attackers had already fled. Dan Baba was found bleeding from gunshot wounds and was rushed to a nearby hospital.”
Homes and properties worth millions of naira were also reportedly destroyed during the raid.
Local sources said this is the fifth attack on the community allegedly linked to hostilities from neighbouring Eket and Esit Eket LGAs.
Youth leaders in the area blamed the re-mapping and boundary realignment exercises initiated by the immediate past administration of Governor Udom Emmanuel for escalating tensions in the oil-rich region. Ibeno, which hosts several multinational oil firms, contributes significantly to both state and federal oil revenues.
A displaced resident currently taking refuge in Eastern Obolo described the attack as “a dangerous escalation of unresolved communal tensions,” warning that continued aggression could destabilize the region further.
In response to the incident, stakeholders have called on Governor Umo Eno, security agencies, and both state and national emergency management agencies to intervene urgently.
Akwa Ibom State Commissioner of Police, Baba Azare, confirmed the incident and said investigations were underway.
“Our officers have been deployed to the area, and we are leaving no stone unturned to ensure that those behind the attack are brought to justice,” Azare said.