Addressing journalists in Eket on Thursday, the community’s representative and spokesperson, Mr. Christopher Friday Nyanah, expressed disappointment over the decision of the Akwa Ibom State Attorney General to discontinue the prosecution by entering a nolle prosequi, a legal declaration that the State will no longer pursue a criminal case, without the knowledge or consent of the affected community.

According to Nyanah, the controversy began in 2024 when residents woke up to discover that a 200KVA spare transformer, which had been replaced with a new 500KVA transformer and kept for future electricity extension to another part of the community, had been carted away by unknown persons. Alarmed by the incident, the village heads reported the matter to the police and mandated him to coordinate efforts aimed at recovering the stolen property and ensuring that those responsible were brought to justice.

He averred that police investigations later uncovered that, in addition to the transformer, a 5.5KVA generating set and a brand-new motorcycle belonging to the community health centre had also been stolen. He further claimed that facilities belonging to the Akwa Ibom Water Company, valued at over ₦500 million, were vandalised within the community.

Nyanah further alleged that police investigations implicated one of the six village heads in the community (name withheld) in connection with the alleged theft of the transformer. He also claimed that a female health worker, who stated in court documents that she was a close friend of Iniobong Bassey Eno, a brother to Governor Umo Eno, was implicated in connection with the alleged removal of the health centre’s generating set and other items.

According to him, efforts were made by the governor’s brother to resolve the matter amicably outside the court.

However, he alleged that the reconciliation process eventually collapsed after the community rejected an attempt to offer additional ₦500,000, insisting instead on the complete replacement of all the allegedly stolen items before any settlement could be considered.

Nyanah also narrated what he described as his personal ordeal during the pendency of the case. He alleged that, because of his role in coordinating the prosecution on behalf of the community, he was initially arrested on what he described as a trumped-up allegation of defamation. He further claimed that Iniobong Bassey Eno later instigated allegations of attempted murder against him involving his own in-laws and brethren.

According to him, the allegations were fabricated to intimidate and weaken him because of his role in pursuing justice on behalf of the community. He added that although the case remains pending before the court, attempts to have him remanded in prison custody were unsuccessful.

“I became the prime target simply because I was asked by the consortium of village heads to coordinate this case. The prosecution was never about me; it was the collective decision of the entire Ikot Usokong community,” he said.

He expressed shock that, after months of legal proceedings, the Attorney General recently informed the court that the State would no longer prosecute the matter without offering any explanation to the affected community.

The decision, he said, has left residents shocked and bewildered, particularly in view of Governor Umo Eno’s earlier directive that village heads should be held accountable whenever public property under their watch is vandalised or stolen.

The community is therefore calling on Governor Umo Eno to order an immediate review of the case and ensure that everyone found culpable in the alleged theft of the community’s transformer, the health centre’s generating set and motorcycle, as well as the vandalisation of public water facilities, is prosecuted irrespective of status or connections.

“We are pleading with the Governor to allow justice to prevail. Public property belongs to the people, and no one should be above the law,” Nyanah added.

Present at the briefing were Eteidung Udoetuk Essien of Asang, Eteidung Afaha Afaha Mbong, Eteidung Inyang Ben Nsien, and Eteidung Douglas Alfred.

Eteidung Peter Idah was reported to be receiving medical treatment in the hospital, while the village head alleged by the community to have been implicated in the case was absent.

As of the time of filing this report, the Office of the Attorney General had not publicly responded to the allegations.

Efforts to obtain comments from the Attorney General’s office were unsuccessful at press time, while the individuals mentioned in connection with the allegations could not be reached for their reactions.