A widow, Mrs. Immaculate Akpan, has cried out to both the federal and state governments, and public-spirited individuals for assistance over the gruesome murder of her husband who was beheaded when armed hoodlums allegedly from Eket Local Government Area invaded Ndito Eka Iba village in Ibeno Local Government Area.

PUNCH Metro gathered that her husband, a fisherman from Eket LGA, was killed for allegedly acting as an informant against the Eket aggressors, accused to be seeking to annex and cede the Ndito Eka Iba village to Eket.

The latest attack was the fourth in a series of attacks on Ibeno LGA since the controversial attempt by former Governor Emmanuel Udom to remap Akwa Ibom State, a case said to be still in court.

Speaking with journalists while fighting back tears in Ibeno LGA, on Saturday, the widow recalled that they had lived peacefully in Ndito Eka Iba village for several years with no rancour.

She further recalled that the attack on the fishing community on Christmas Eve 2024 had left a huge scar on the Ndito Eka Iba village, after the invaders destroyed churches, and several boats with outboard engines, cars, motorcycles and other valuables including fishing gears.

Lamenting her ordeals, the mother of four expressed sadness over the incident that cost the life of her husband and several missing children, whose whereabouts remained unknown.

According to her, “When our neighbours from Eket LGA launched the attack on the night of December 24, 2024, we were caught unawares.

“Before the attack, the invaders had attempted to host a festival to herald Christmas Day, but instead of using the village name of Ndito Eka Iba, which is unit 6 ward 10 and a gazetted village in Ibeno LGA, they instead used the name Okoiyak Ekid, to reflect their Eket identity; claiming that Ndito Eka Iba village in Ibeno LGA, no longer belongs to Ibeno LGA, but Eket LGA.

“Because of this, the youths of Ndito Eka Iba village approached them, and advised them against such plans to alter the original name, but they threatened war, which they (the Eket people) later launched late that night, forcing people to escape into the dark shrub where they spent the night before emerging in the morning to seek refuge in safer locations.

“The entire Ndito Eka Iba has been left in total ruins and I have relocated to my village – Odio, in Eket LGA, after my husband had been killed and his remains buried in a shallow grave without his head, which was severed from the rest of his body and taken away by the attackers.”

According to her, “I have been dislocated from where I used to eke out my living with my four children, trading in fish, crayfish and other seafood like periwinkles, prawns and others.”

She appealed to concerned authorities including the State Emergency Management Agency the National Emergency Management Agency, churches, individual and corporate organisations for relief materials for her and other displaced victims,

The widow lamented, “It has become too difficult to feed and clothe my four children in a new location without a job or business.”

The Commissioner of Police, Baba Azare, when contacted by PUNCH Metro on Sunday, said the suspects were still in custody, maintaining that “investigations on the case had since been concluded and the suspects charged to court.”

He said no one had any right to interfere in the matter, adding, “I take full responsibility over the case, and I have spoken with the investigative officer who told me that the matter had already been charged to court.” (The PUNCH)