The relative peace expected in some troubled communities in Etim Ekpo local government area of Akwa Ibom State may be in jeopardy as hundreds of repentant aggrieved youths, Wednesday, laid siege at Utu Etim Ekpo, headquarters of the local government secretariat and sacked Mr. Udeme Eduo, the council’s Chairman and workers over allegation of botched rehabilitation deal.
The youths, who came from the bush in September this year, surrendered their arms and other dangerous weapons to security agents in exchange for rehabilitation deal brokered by governor Udom Emmanuel, today sent fear running down the spines of the council’s workers and residents of the area.
The early morning protest which lasted for several hours crippled official and business activities at the council secretariat and Utu Etim Ekpo environs as the youths, mostly drawn from the Iceland and Debam cult groups, chanted war songs and threatened to abandon the deal and return to the bush.
Following the two-year mindless killings, kidnappings and robberies in the parts of Etim Ekpo in which more than 500 persons were killed and more than 2,000 displaced, governor Emmanuel was forced to broker the deal which would was to ensure the rehabilitation and empowerment of the suspected criminals.
Armed with a placard with an inscription, “give us our rights”, one of the aggrieved youths, who would not want his name in print told reporters that “we have been deceived by government to come out of the bush and drop our weapons but what was promised has not been implemented.”
The ex-aggrieved youth, who said he was of the Debam group, explained that the “the initial empowerment fund given to us by the government was not properly shared to the families by the Council Chairman, Hon. Udeme Wilson Eduo.”
He recalled that “two weeks ago, we were asked to assemble at the Qua Iboe Church (QIC) primary school at Uruk Ata 2. When the Chairman arrived, he expressed happiness that we obeyed the government and embraced the deal for peace to return to our communities.
“However, what the Chairman did was to short-change our group and gave N1 million to the Icelanders and gave a paltry N150,000 to our group with a promise of other things like vocational jobs and other empowerment funds,” he stated, calling on governor Emmanuel to correct the anomaly for sustainable peace in the communities.
The Chairman could not respond to calls sent to him for his position on the matter, but one of his aides who would not want his name mentioned, could only say “the Chairman is in a meeting with security agencies.”
However, DSP Odiko MacDon, the state Police, Public Relations Officer (PPRO), who confirmed the incident, said police were on hand to ensure the protest did not degenerate into fight, saying “the matter has been resolved.”
He assured that Mr. John Bassey Abang, the new Commissioner of Police, was fully committed to ensuring lasting peace return to the troubled areas and the state in general.
Recall that the youths from Etim Ekpo and Ukanafun local government areas were led by Adeyemi Samuel Ogunjemilusi, the then state Commissioner for Police to Government House, Uyo where they met governor Emmanuel.
