Niger Delta

Gunmen Kidnap Akwa Ibom LG Director, Wife

Published

2 years ago

March 22, 2024

The Akwa Ibom State Police Command has confirmed the kidnap of Elder Nyaknobong Etuk, a Director of Finance in Nsit Atai Local Government Area of the State.
The Tide’s source gathered that the victim was seized last Sunday night along with his wife, Deaconess Etuk, while returning home from shopping for their new born twins and family.
Elder Etuk and wife were said to have left the newborns with the housemaid for shopping along Oron Road in Uyo metropolis.
“On their return, Elder Etuk, Director of Finance, Nsit Atai Local Government Council of the State parked and blew the car horn for minutes, yet nobody quickly opened the gate for the couple.
“Suddenly, a mini-bus covered with tarpaulin to shield the identity of the occupants (armed gunmen) barricaded the car by the gate of his house at Akpasak Estate, Mbiabong off Oron Road, Uyo, and ordered them out of their car at gun point before whisking them away to an unknown destination,” a family source said.
The source further said that the kidnappers have not established any contact with the family since the couple’s abduction.
However, the State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), CSP Odiko MacDon, who confirmed the kidnap of the Finance Director who hailed from Oruk Anam LGA, said the Commissioner of Police (CP), Waheed Ayilara, has since mobilised operatives to rescue the couple and bring the perpetrators to justice.
‘‘We are aware of the kidnap incident of the Director of Finance and wife. The matter had been reported to us and the State Commissioner of Police, Waheed Ayilara, has directed the appropriate unit in the Police force to investigate the matter with a view to rescuing the kidnapped victims.
‘‘We are on top of the situation. In no distant time, the kidnappers would be arrested and brought to book. We are not leaving any stone unturned in an effort to secure lives and property of the Akwa Ibom people. Kidnapping is a crime that is short-lived, and I don’t know why people will kidnap others for ransom.
‘‘I can assure you that very soon, the victims would be rescued and be reunited with their family,’’ CSP MacDon assured.
Meanwhile, the police, in collaboration with other security agencies have rescued the Nsit Atai Chapter Chairman of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Mr. Abasiakan Eshiet, popularly known as Babs, Eshiet alongside two others, who were kidnapped at M-Lounge, Osongama in Uyo, the state capital.
Eshiet and other victims, it was learnt, were watching soccer tournament between Nigeria vs Cameroon during the 2023 AFCON Round 16, when their suspected abductors struck and kept in their custody before their recent rescue by the Joint Task Force (JTF).

Niger Delta

Navy Pledges Improved Patrols, Welfare Boost For Personnel

Published

8 hours ago

January 9, 2026

The Tide

The Chief of Naval Staff (CNS), Vice Admiral Idi Abbas, has pledged to ensure improved welfare for personnel and more patrols on the maritime corridors of the nation.

He disclosed this during an on the spot assessment of things at the Eastern Naval Command (ENC), Calabar, on Wednesday.

According to him, there is the need for officers to always be ready, by improving on their welfare, in a bid to keep the country secured.

“I am here for an on the spot assessment of our operations and like you have seen, I have also gone round to check the ongoing buildings.

”These are welfare issues and for us to be able to have our men ready and keep us secured, their welfare needs to be catered for.

“So, we are here to kill two birds with one stone, which are basically operations and welfare issues.

”I am happy with what the command is doing; it is doing well in terms of keeping the maritime environment safe.

“We will continue doing what we are doing and improve on that, which is patrol of the waters and increase in the area of surveillance”, he stated.

As part of his visit, Abbas commissioned the 12×1 Junior Rates Accommodation Block A and B, at the Navy Barracks at Atimbo in Calabar.

The naval chief also inspected other ongoing projects in the Akim Barracks, 1006 flats and the Navy hotel, all within Calabar.

Niger Delta

Delta Begins Uromi Junction Flyover Construction

Published

11 hours ago

January 9, 2026

The Tide

The Delta State Government says it has began construction work on the long-awaited Uromi Junction Flyover Bridge in Agbor, Ika South Local Government Area of the state.

Director-General (DG) of the Delta State Bureau for Orientation and Communications, Dr. Fred Oghenesivbe, confirmed the development to newsme in Asaba.

According to him, heavy-duty construction equipment have arrived the site, a project which is being handled by Julius Berger Nigeria PLC, one of the country’s leading construction firms.

Oghenesivbe, described the flyover as a massive infrastructure project with far-reaching socio-economic benefits for the area.

He said the project would significantly transform the Agbor metropolis by easing traffic congestion, improving the city’s aesthetics, and boosting commercial activities within the local government area.

He described the State Governor, Sheriff Oborevwori, as a promise-keeper and pragmatic leader whose administration remains committed to infrastructure development and economic growth across the state.

The DG expressed confidence in Julius Berger’s capacity to deliver the project within record time and according to the highest construction standards.

“The Uromi Junction serves as a major link between different parts of the country but has recently been plagued by severe traffic congestion, making vehicular movement increasingly difficult”, he noted.

He urged residents to cooperate with the contractor and safeguard construction materials and equipment to ensure the timely completion of the project.

Niger Delta

A’Ibom Rejects Ekid Ownership Claim Of Stubbs Creek

Published

11 hours ago

January 9, 2026

The Tide

The Akwa Ibom State Government has rejected claims by the Ekid People’s Union that it owns land within the Stubbs Creek Forest Reserve, describing such assertions as “false, misleading and a distortion of the judicial record.”

In a recent statement, signed by the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Uko Udom, the state government said it was compelled to respond in the “overriding public interest,” despite a pending court case instituted by the same group.

The government stated that contrary to claims circulating in the media, the historic case of Ntiaro and Ikpak vs. Ibok Etok Akpan and Edoho Ekid, decided by the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council in 1918, did not vest ownership of Stubbs Creek land in any ethnic group or community.

“The final judgement merely dismissed the claims before the court and granted title to no party whatsoever”, the government stated, adding that “any assertion to the contrary is false, misleading and a distortion of the judicial record.”

According to the statement, the land was lawfully reserved by the colonial government under Forest Reserve Order No. 45 of 1930, later amended in 1941, 1955 and 1962, with “the principal rights of the land forfeited to the Government upon the change of status.”

It said the area has since been administered under applicable laws by the Akwa Ibom State Government, which “has at all times acted within its lawful authority in the management and allocation of land in the area for legitimate public and economic purposes.”

Citing the 1999 Constitution and the Land Use Act, the government stated that all land in the state is vested in the governor to be held in trust for the common benefit of Nigerians, noting that claims of absolute ancestral ownership are subject to existing laws.

The government “categorically denies allegations of fraud or misrepresentation” regarding Stubbs Creek or investments there and warned it would take “appropriate legal steps” against any individual or group publishing false or defamatory material capable of undermining public confidence or discouraging investment

The statement also assured the federal government of “full access and Right of Way” for the proposed Coastal Highway through any part of the state.

The government statement followed an earlier report in which the Ekid People’s Union accused Governor Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom State of making comments that allegedly linked the community to terrorism, while he was defending the Coastal Highway project passing through the Stubbs Creek.

Ekid People’s Union maintained that the people of Ekid are the original owners of the land known as Stubbs Creek Forest Reserve, arguing that their ancestral ownership predates colonial rule.

The group cited historical occupation, customary ownership and a 1918 Privy Council case, which it claimed affirmed Ekid rights over the territory.

The union also accused the Akwa Ibom State Government of misrepresenting history to justify taking over the land for commercial interests and the proposed Coastal Highway, an allegation the state government has denied.

The group rejected any suggestion linking the Ekid people to criminality or terrorism, insisting they were peaceful citizens defending their ancestral land through lawful and civic means.