THE CIVIL WAR, MASSIVE KILLING OF OUR PEOPLE BY IKA ANNANGS AND AGITATIONS BY SOME PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITY TO BE ADMINISTERED BY THE THEN SOUTH EASTERN STATE GOVRENMENT.

During the Nigerian Civil war in 1969, our people like other communities in that war situation, ran into different neighboring communities, including into Ika Clan (now Ika LGA of Akwa Ibom State) in the then Abak Division of the defunct South Eastern State.

Majority of these people who ran from the war into Ika clan were killed, their corpses butchered, shared and eaten by Ika indigenes on the claim that our people were Ibos who should all be killed.

The condition given by Ika Clan leaders to stop the killing of our people was that our people should swear an oath i.e Ika juju and agree that our community would be made part of Ika Clan.

In the face of such mnassacre of our people by the Ika Annang people they (our people) had to swear the oath i.e. Ika juju and agreed that our community would be made part of Ika Clan. Employments such as teaching appointments were given to some of these our people.

Unfortunately for these our people and Ika Annang canninals, those of our people who ran away from the civil war into other parts of Ibo land came back from the war and strongly protested the attempt to make our community part of Ika Clan on the ground that we have never been part of them and do not have the same culture with them.

This is the orgin of the disagreement in our community as to where the community belongs. Before 1969, there was no dispute over the ownership or which government administers Akirika Obu. And as earlier stated, our community Akirika Obu had from time immemorial been part and parcel of Ndoki Clan now Ukwa East Local Government Area of Abia State. Our forefathers, our fathers and now ourselves have continued to pay taxes to Ndoki –Ukwa East Local Government Area of Abia State.

The Federal Government had set up panels and commissions on the matter and all the panels and Commissions resolved this matter in favour of our people- that Akirika-Obu should remain with their kiths and kins in Ndoki clan.

latest of such commissions was the Kaloma Ali Boundary Ajustment Commission of 1982. That Commission produced DECREE NO 23 OF 1985, ADJUSTMENT OF BOUNDARIES (CROSS RIVER AND IMO STATES) DECREE 1985. The decree specifically provided that Akirika Obu Ndoki should remain in Imo (now Abia) State. A photocopy of the Decree is hereto annexed and marked appendix 8.

Despite of the clear provisions of that Decree signed by General Ibrahim Babangida in 1985 that Akirika Obu should remain in Abia State, the Akwa Ibom State Government and Ika Local Government Council continued to sponsor deadly attacks on our community. One of such attacks took place in 2000 during which all the buidings including the Mobile Police Barrack were burnt down and our people chased away into neighbouring Ndoki and Ngwa communities.

DEPLOYMENT OF ARMY OFFICERS TO OUR COMMUNITY IN 2010

Sir, our joy in your choice of Akrika Obu as one of the operation bases for the war against kidnapping and other crimes in Abia State knew no bound. Although there is no record of kidnapping by Akirika Obu indigenes, the deployment of soldiers has put an end to constant attacks on our people and property by the Ika Annang people of Ika Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State.

We however, write to demand a withdrawal by Captain U.S Abdulsalam of his spurious, false and malicious claims, falsified records and gross misrepresentation of facts on Akirika Obu.

The said Captain Abdulsalam was the officer commanding, Alpha Company, 2 Internal Security, 144 Battalion located at Akirika Obu, Ndoki in Ukwa East Local Government Area of Abia State.

For reasons best known to him he abandoned his primary assignment and got himself involved with land issues, pursuing money from Ika Local Government Council and Akwa Ibom State Government for mischievous purposes. It was because of money given to him that Captain Abdulsalam strongly instigated the agitators in Akirika Obu who want to be governed by Akwa Ibom State against our people.

When we noticed the manner Captain Abdulsalam was behaving and his unholy relationship with Ika Local Government Council and Akwa Ibom State Government, we alerted the authorities as well as made available all documents on our community, including Decree No. 23 of 1985 to him.

ABDULSALAM’S MISCONDUCT AGAINST OUR PEOPLE

1.Captain Abdulsalam worked tirelessly with Hon Saviour Enyiekere the then Ika Local Government Council Chairman to Annex our Community, Akirika Obu-Ndoki into Ika Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom.

2.Captain Abdulsalam authorized, erected and supervised a beacon with the inscription GRS XX 2X IKOT UDO IKA FOB inside the barracks (Operation Base of Alpha Company 2) in Akirika Obu land, on Abia soil.

3.Captain Abdulsalam authorized, supervised and surveyed Akirika Obu families large expanse of Farm lands and placed army beacons on the land without consulting our people- the owners of the Land from Akirika Obu.

4.While in Akirika Obu, Captain Abdulsalam always addressed our community Akirika Obu- Ndoki as “Ikot Udo Ika” against the laws of the land and our peoples’ wish.

5.Captain Abdulsalam further claimed that “Akirika Obu-Ndoki was in Cross River State in the 80s”. We demand to see his source of information.

6.Captain Abdulsalam also claimed that Mopols (Mobile Police Officers) were killed by our people and the barracks burnt in the 80s. We are still at pains about his source of information. We demand for evidence from him.

7.Captain Abdulsalam further claimed that we manufacture arms and ammunitions and that anybody that wanted to rob in this area had to come here either to hire or buy the weapons. No body in Akirika Obu manufactures arms. Please sir, let him explain more.

8.He also claimed that he visited our town union meetings in Lagos, Onitsha, Port Harcourt and everywhere in the country to prevail on our people to come back home. First, we state that as at October, 2010 when Captain Adbulsalam arrived Akirika Obu, no indigene of the community left home because of kidnapping. Indigenes outside the community in those mentioned towns were there before the crime of kidnapping started in Abia State. In any case, was this his area of assignment? Going round towns to prevail on indigenes of Abia communities to return home? Again from whose purse, Army or Communities were these funded? And who among our people did he meet on those occasions.

Sir, we respectively refer you to the Captain’s interview with the New SOJA- A magazine of the Nigerian Army 1st Quarter 2011, titled “Sun Rise at Nightfall in Abia”. We want you, sir, to compare his fasle and malicious claims, falsified records on pages 75,76 & 77 of that magazine and the true and well positioned interview of the then Brigade Commander, Brig Gen, Audu on page 56 of the same magazine. We attach the said copies of the interview herewith for your perusal.

We the people of Akirika Obu-Ndoki in Ukwa East Local Government Area of Abia State are embarrassed by Captain Abdulsalam’s spurious, false and malicious claims and pressed to the wall by his falsified records and gross misrepresentation of facts which he ignorantly but intentionally, for selfish interest, dragged his reputation and integrity in the mud. We are of the opinion that a Captain in the prestigious Nigerian Army should be at least averagely intelligent with an unquestionable character unlike Captain Abdulsalam.

Sir with the embarrassment caused the people of Akirika Obu community in particular, the Ukwa east Local Government Area and Abia State in general, Captain Abdulsalam should as a matter of urgency:-

a.Explain his reason of handing over our land, an Abia Soil to Akwa Ibom State. We want the Beacon GRS XX 2X Ikot Ika FOB removed and corrected to reflect its location in Akirika Obu-Ndoki in Ukwa East Local Government Area of Abia State.

b.Explain what he did with the large hectares of our farm Land that he surveyed and where he registered the survey plan.

c.Explain and produce any document from National Boundary Commission or any Government agency on why he should be addressing Akirika Obu Community as Ikot Udo Ika.

d.Explain to the Nigeria Police the name of the mobile police officer who was killed in Akirika Obu and whether any Policeman has ever been killed in Akirika Obu.

e.Explain also with proof where he discovered the arms and ammunitions factory in Akirika Obu and the names of the criminals who come to hire or buy such weapons from our community. We are at serious pains about his false and malicious claims.

f.Explain how he visited our town unions in Lagos, Onitsha, Port Harcourt and everywhere in the country to prevail on our people to return home. Whom did he see as the executives of these unions, who financed his cross country trips and at what time?


Sir, as earlier stated, our community from time immemorial has NEVER been in South Eastern, Cross River and now Akwa Ibom State. We have our certified documents as proof.

We the people of Akirika Obu-Ndoki Ukwa East Local Government Area gave land to the Nigeria Police and Barracks were built in 1985. The barracks were burnt and destroyed by the Ika-Annang hoodlums in year 2000 when they attacked us and destroyed propertied worth millions of Naria, no Police Officer was killed. The same barracks is where the Nigerian Army uses as their FOB. We have our documents.

Captain Abdulsalam’s lies that he traveled around the country to bring our people home is too cheap and uncalled for because he is only telling the Army authorities who assigned him for a specific duty that he was not doing his work but pursuing his selfish interests.

We petition you sir to seek redress and to call Captain Abdulsalam to order so that peace and tranquility will return and reign in our community from the confusion he has created.

We once more thank you for your choice of Akirika Obu-Ndoki as one of your Operational Bases for your soldiers.

We in conclusion, thank you for your patience in going through our petition and hope that justice will soon be done in our case.

WE ARE:

1. Chief James N. Abia (Traditional Prime Minister)¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬ _______________
2. Elder Friday C. Nna (Community Chairman) ____________________
3. Pst. Bonny Chimezie (Community Secretary)____________________
4. Elder Monday A. Kanu (Community Leader)____________________
5. Mr. Emmanuel S. Mbacha (Youth Leader)______________________
6. Chief Ekeke Patrick Nna (Village Head)________________________
7. Mr. Sunday Abel Ucheime (Village Chairman)__________________

For and on behalf of the entire Akirika Obu- Ndoki people

Cc:

1. Senator Enyinnayah Abaribe, Senator Representing Abia South Senatorial District, National Assembly, Three Arms Zone, Abuja.

2. Hon. Uzoma Abonta, Hourable Member Representing Ukwa Federal Constituency, House of Representatives, Three Arms Zone, Abuja.

3. The Brigade Commander, 14 Brigade Headquarters, Nigeria Army,
Ohafia.

4. The Commanding Officer, 144 Battalion Headquarters, 14 Brigade Akrika Obu.

5. The Officer in Charge, 144 Battalion Headquarters, 14 Brigade Akirika Obu.

Abagworo:
I'm asking this because i have noticed that all my friends from opobo cant speak ijaw.is it that igbo displaced the original language or igbo is actually the original language?please this is strictly a language issue.I NEVER CALLED OPOBOS IGBOS.

The Opobo/Nkoro people are mainly farmers and fishermen.They are of Igbo extraction. They speak Igbo language mixed with pidgin and Igbani. Just like the neighbouring Bonny, founded by Ndokis of Azuogu, slaves from the hinterlan transformed the demography of the area when the Transatlantic Slave Trade was abolished. Ijaws who came in as porters also settled there and the Igbo language was adopted. Although, there are no indigenous Ijaw communities there, most Ijaw migrants and porters have fully been integrated into the original indigenous Igbo communities.
Pro-Natura International Nigeria has been assisting in community-led development in the LGA.

Ala ga agba ndi ala....

I never knew Opobo and Bonny speaks Igbo. All along , I have always thought they speak Ijaw , therefore should be classified as Ijaw based on language until someone posted a clip of their village meetings. These Ijaw people are the real landgrabbers.

How in the world would you keep claiming communities that share 90% of their culture with Igbo. Where is your Ijaw language if you are trying to make a case for an Ijaw ancestry.

sosisi:


Now are we not saying the same thing?
Opobo is made up of a lot of Igbo slaves from the 17th and 18th century so most Opobo people have some Igbo lineage
Is that not a fact.
why would Igbo be the language of communication in Opobo if there were no Igbos there?
so why the name calling when you agree to the original post

opobo is Igbo according to their elders, an opobo man said they tried installing ibani language but all to know avail while some of their elders can speak ibani but the youth can't, most of them are Igbos, jaja of opobo is an Igbo man according wrong pronounce of the white man, if not is jugo jugwo is his name according an interview with their elders..check nnaa mehn tv on YouTube for more understanding.