[OPINION BY MIKE NSAN] MURDER: THE NEW NORM IN AKPABUYO LGA

It was early in the morning, 1st of June, 2023, I started receiving the monthly wishes for good health, success and so on, from wellwishers. I also received prayer-filled calls from family and friends, extending their love and goodwill…while I was still enjoying the beautiful feeling of expectancy from the outpour of love and goodwill, I received yet another call…”Sir Mike, obongowo” Began the caller, I promptly replied, “eyeneka idem foo?” (brother how are you?) in my usual cheerful voice expecting goodwill messages, then Caller continued in Efik language ” have you heard what has happened? People raided our village and killed and beheaded Mma (name withheld) that stays at usung idim (Stream road)? …the diatribe continued. He further informed me of plans by our village youth to carry out reprisal attacks and that they were gathered somewhere, mapping out strategies of warfare to overrun the village from where the murderers had come from. They planned to rain death and killings… (although I later heard different versions of the murder)

Very alarmed and disturbed, I started making frantic calls to every law enforcement officer I knew, called Village Heads, Youth Leaders etc, who managed to prevent the attack and calmed the situation, although the whole Clan remains tensed and apprehensive, unsure of actions that may be taken if proper and timely intervention by the government is not done.

This murder was committed in the presence of the woman’s son who is still in shock, and suffering from severe mental and emotional instability.

This case is one out of so many reported cases of murder and beheading of natives and people of Akpabuyo. Some happen as reprisal attacks while others are from mere provocations or secret cult clashes that have fast become the in-thing, the way to go, or the way to make your name amongst the youth as a dreaded gang leader. Murder has indeed become a Norm in Akpabuyo, which ironically is nicknamed the *City of Light.*

How sad and how deem this *light* must be…

Most of the Efik, Efut and Qua royal families have or own villages in Akpabuyo. The increasing scourge of kidnapping, endless robberies, and now outright murder has severely dampened growth and development over the years.

One wonders what has caused all this despite the huge potential of Akpabuyo which has been enviously blessed with good link roads to Calabar, Good Topography for both Housing, and Farming, rich mineral deposits, very rich soil for agriculture, a major river and access to the Atlantuc Ocean, also has a huge youth population for labor, possesses a very rich Cultural Mix as various tribes especially the Ibibios, Anangs and Igbos all dwell, live there, and display their different rich cultural traits, arts and crafts…Akpabuyo even boast of mashy areas that, if properly harnessed, can be used for.fish farms and thriving Palm Estates. The potentials are enormous…

Akpabuyo should indeed be a city booming with development and growth. It should be the CITY OF LIGHT.

But the case is the direct opposite.

I remember when my father, High Chief Dr. Emmanuel Nsan OFR, during his brief but eventful outing as Minister of Works and Housing, facilitated the construction of the Atimbo link road and Atimbo Bridge from IBB road down to Ikang, the people of Akpabuyo resisted the development move, as a result, my family paid the prize by the gruesome murder of my father’s brother who was assisting in the construction job of the bridge. It was later claimed that boat owners or fishermen who felt the bridge will hinder their source of living and water transport business had ganged up and killed him in their bid to stop the bridge construction.

I also recall Late Bassey Idim who was murdered in broad daylight by a masquerade (suspected to be Ekpo Ibibio) with a machette. The list is endless.

More alarming are recent spate and occurances of murders like the recent killing and beheading of a Village Head by suspected cultists, add this to the growing rate of kidnapping, robberies and theft, then you can only imagine the fear and uncertainty that grips the people, especially the non indigenes. This reflects in how many houses and properties that were acquired by both indigenes and non indigenes have been abandoned. Owners have started reselling off their properties, so.many have moved back to Calabar with their businesses out of fear…the people remain improverished, stagnant, redundant and backward.

Many leaders blame “idut” a name used to define non Efik, Efut, and Qua tribes that have lived there over the centuries while others apportion blame on various personal or percieved factors. But ultimately, what Akpabuyo lacks is quality and dedicated leadership, that people oriented leadership that’s devoid of aspersions, political sentiments or tribal differences.

Akpabuyo needs total revamp in all sectors. The security challenge is priority and the government must as a matter of urgency, take decisive actions no matter who will be affected. THIS NORM, THIS REIGN OF MURDER, KIDNAPPING, ROBBERIES …MUST BE STOPPED.

Most worrisome is the fact that these murderers parade themselves openly without fear of arrest or justice. They go into hiding and reappear with bravado, looking like heroes.

THIS TOO MUST STOP.

I plead with every law enforcement, the entire Government of Cross River State and Nigeria, come and salvage Akpabuyo!

Mike Nsan
Ifondo Village
Akpabuyo