Crisis Brews As NSCDC, Community Clash Over Government Land

By Our Reporter

Tension is reportedly brewing in Akwa Ibom State following a confrontation between officials of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and members of a host community over a parcel of government land whose ownership and control have become the subject of dispute.

The incident, which occurred at a site believed to be part of an industrial layout, has raised concerns among stakeholders as both parties traded accusations over alleged intimidation and unlawful occupation of the property.

Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Basse Engineering, Engr. Bassey, whose company was said to be working on the land, maintained that due consultation was carried out with community leaders before work commenced, “before we went there, we met the village head; we even met people who are involved and they gave us a place for our office. We have no issues,” he said.

However, the State Commandant of the NSCDC in Akwa Ibom State narrated a different version of events, claiming that his life was threatened during the encounter, “my life would have been wasted at that site. The man threatened me with a knife, if not for the wisdom I applied,” the Commandant said.

She added that her visit to the site was merely a routine inspection on a public holiday when she discovered that some persons had occupied the premises, “today is a public holiday. It was from the office that I came there to do routine inspection only to meet some persons occupying the place. I went there to find out who gave them the right. If the right has been taken away from us, we will leave it for them; there is no problem,” he stated.

The Commandant further explained that she seized a mobile phone belonging to one of the operators at the site as evidence, insisting that the owner must report to her office on Monday with others who allegedly threatened her, “I will not hand over that phone. The boy will come and answer to the call. That is the only evidence that he fought with me. Let him come on Monday to collect his phone but he will bring the other men who were standing with knives and threatened to cut me. I collected the phone in self-defence,” she added.

A senior stakeholder in the state, who spoke on condition of anonymity, criticized both parties, saying the dispute stems from a lack of proper information, “Civil Defence does not have land in that area. They are doing things blindly without knowledge. Again, the community does not have the right to do anything because the land belongs to government,” the source said.

Meanwhile, a staff member of Basse Engineering, who pleaded anonymity, accused the security operatives of acting with excessive force, “this place is an industrial layout which the government had revoked four years ago. We started clearing yesterday and the Civil Defence personnel came in forcefully,” the staff member alleged.

“Does it mean that people in uniform act forcefully and obtain things forcefully? Even when they were told that an engineer was here, they ignored it. Let them give the operator his phone so that we can go. How will this person survive without his phone throughout the weekend when all his day-to-day business activities are inside the phone?” the staff added.

Also speaking, the Community Liaison Officer (CLO), Bernard Etim, confirmed that the NSCDC insisted the phone would only be released on Monday, “the Civil Defence insisted that we should go out of the premises and that the phone would be released on Monday in their office after rectification,” he said.

When contacted, the Commissioner for Lands and Town Planning, Dr. Ubong John Inyang, said that he received information in that regard and that the matter will be amicably resolved for the benefit of all parties. Watch out for more details.