Police arrest four Akwa Ibom youths over alleged vandalism at Seplat facility

2026-03-15 - 18:37

...Ibeno community alleges police shot at peaceful protesters By Egufe Yafugborhi UYO — The Police Command in Akwa Ibom State has arrested four youths from Ibeno community over alleged vandalism at the facility of Seplat Energy in Mkpanak Village, Ibeno Local Government Area. However, community leaders and youths from Ibeno have disputed the police account, insisting the incident followed a peaceful protest during which officers allegedly opened fire, injuring a protester and arresting four others. In a statement on the incident, the Commissioner of Police in the state, Baba Mohammed Azare, accused the youths of vandalism, malicious damage and attempted forceful entry into the oil firm’s facility. According to him, the police received a distress call from the company’s security control room reporting that a group of youths allegedly led by one James Eshiet vandalised the company’s signpost and attempted to forcefully gain access to the facility. “On March 11 at about 12:00 hours, police received a distress call from the security control room of Seplat reporting that a group of youths allegedly led by their leader, James Eshiet, had vandalised and maliciously damaged the company’s signpost and were attempting to forcefully gain access into the facility with the intention of destroying other critical installations,” Azare said. The police commissioner stated that operatives immediately mobilised to the scene, where they found that the company’s signpost had been pulled down and destroyed. He added that the group resisted arrest and attempted to obstruct police operations. “Through a coordinated tactical response, the police successfully arrested four suspects — Prince Afaiko, 48; Emmanuel Okpolo, 36; Daniel Christopher, 32; and Effiong Effiong, 39 — all from Mkpanak Village,” he said. Azare said police surveillance teams were currently tracking the alleged ringleader and other suspects who fled the scene. He also warned youth groups against taking the law into their hands, urging them to channel grievances through lawful means. “Any person or group found engaging in acts of vandalism, violence or sabotage will be arrested and prosecuted in accordance with the law,” he added. Community disputes police account Reacting to the development, Secretary of the Ibeno Clan Council, Chief Udofia Okon Udofia, blamed the oil company and the police for the escalation of the incident. He said the confrontation followed a protest by Ibeno youths over the alleged removal of the community’s name from the company’s signpost after the rebranding of Mobil Producing Nigeria Unlimited to Seplat Energy Producing Nigeria Unlimited. Seplat had completed the acquisition of assets belonging to Mobil Producing Nigeria Unlimited in December 2024. According to Udofia, the dispute began when a new signpost installed by the company reportedly excluded the name “Ibeno,” which had appeared on the previous sign welcoming visitors to the facility. He further alleged that a “Caveat Emptor, Eket” sign installed at the site by the President-General of the Ekid People’s Union, Dr. Samuel Udonsak, heightened tensions in the area. Ibeno and neighbouring Eket communities have long-standing disputes over host community rights related to oil company operations. Udofia said youths from the Ijaw Youth Council and the Ibeno Youth Forum had earlier written to Seplat management over the matter but received no response. “After waiting for over a month without any feedback from the company, the youths decided to pull down the Seplat signpost,” he said. He alleged that security personnel attached to the facility attempted to stop the youths and later invited the Divisional Police Officer in charge of the area, CSP Felix Ekpoudom, who ordered their arrest. Udofia further claimed that police officers opened fire on the unarmed protesters, leaving one youth injured while four others were arrested and taken to the State Police Headquarters in Uyo. He also alleged that attempts by the Paramount Ruler of Ibeno, HRM Ovong Achianga, to intervene and mediate in the matter were rejected by the Divisional Police Officer. “What the police have done has shown why the DPO was rejected when he was deployed to Ibeno,” Udofia said. He questioned how a “Caveat Emptor” sign reportedly erected by people from Eket in Ibeno territory could lead to the removal of the community’s name from Seplat’s signpost. “For decades, Ibeno youths have cooperated with oil companies and provided a peaceful environment for their operations. The claim that they are troublemakers is unfounded,” he added.