A pressure group in Ekid nation under the aegis of Ikpaisong Akoiyak has vowed to demolish the Landmark Beach Resort, which it noted is being falsely labelled as Ibeno Beach.

The group argued that the beach is Eket Beach, located behind ExxonMobil Qua Iboe Terminal in Eket Local Government Area of the state, adding that some corrupt officials of government had chosen to call it Ibeno Beach.

The group’s spokesman, Prince Inuaekid, in a statement which was made available to our correspondent in Uyo on Tuesday, alleged that Eket people won the land against Ibeno in 1916, adding that the judgement was approved by the privy council court in London in 1918.

He wondered why the former Commissioner for Lands, Capt. Iniobong Ekong, (retd) decided to sit on appeal in a case finalized over 100 years ago by awarding the land to Ibeno who lost the case.

Inuaekid revealed that colonial records indicated that Ibeno people came to settle in Eket in the 18th Century as refugees and were given a place to settle by the Eket forebears, who gave them the name Ibeno.

He added that Ibeno is the European corruption of the Ibibio word ‘Ibono mi’ meaning ‘settle here.’

He emphasized that tenants cannot now turn around to become landlords over their landlords in the beach area that their forebears never gave to them.

He further revealed that after much tension in the area, in April 2023, the House of Assembly enacted a law creating a map for the state which was assented to by the then Governor Emmanuel Udom, which restored this land to the rightful Eket owners, but regretted that Governor Umo Eno, has yet to recognize or work with this lawful map.

He added, “In 2024 the Akwa Ibom Elders Council, whose membership comprises of all former governors and deputy governors from the state, all retired chief judges and retired justices of the Supreme Court and Court of Appeal from the state, all retired Army Generals and equivalent in the Navy and Air Force from the state, all former federal ministers from the state etc, met and looked into the perennial quarrel between Eket and Ibeno over this same land, part of which is said to have been granted to Landmark by the state government.

“The Elders Council came to a finding and conclusion that the land belongs to Eket, not Ibeno. The council recommended to Governor Eno with a public presentation by former Governor Victor Attah, that for justice, equity and peace to reign, all illegal structures built by Ibeno trespassers on parts of this land called Akoiyak or Stubbs Creek forest, should be demolished by the state government.

“Yet for nearly two years now Governor Eno has refused to demolish those illegal structures. Instead, the government attempted to build a Government Health Centre, government farm and government school on this land for Ibeno Local Council.”

He stated that in reaction, Ikpaisong Akoiyak, began the demolition of all unwanted structures – both government and private – on the land, adding that “on 28 February 2024 more than 40 private homes, schools, guest houses and churches were demolished.

He said, “On November 14, 2024, Government Primary School, Government Health Centre and government farm which were all under construction were demolished by the group.

He stated that the group welcomes Landmark Leisure Resort into Eket beaches, but warned that the owners of the investment must consult and lease the land from Eket landowners and address the resort as located in the Eket Local Government Area, failure of which they will allow the construction of the resort to reach advanced stages, before bringing it down to its foundations.

Inuaekid wonders why the government acquired their land for Landmark without consulting Eket leadership as landowners, “only for us to read in the newspapers that our land is now called Ibeno beach and has been granted to investors called Landmark.”

He warned that no government or military might subdue the will of the people who are fighting for their rights, instead, they will escalate insecurity in the area.