Mboho Ikot Abasi Accuses Sterling Petrochemical of Illegal Activities, Demands Government Action

The apex socio-cultural body of Ikot Abasi Local Government Area, Mboho Ikot Abasi, has accused Sterling Petrochemical & Fertilizer Limited (SPFL) and its affiliate companies of engaging in “illegal and obnoxious activities” in the area.

Addressing journalists at a world press conference on Friday in Uyo, the President of Mboho Ikot Abasi (name not provided in the statement) alleged that the company had repeatedly violated environmental, social, and economic rights of host communities without regard for due process.

“We regret to inform the world that this company has engaged in acts that amount to gross violations of our sensibilities, environmental, social, and economic rights,” the statement read in part.

The group alleged that on July 30, 2025, SPFL commenced construction of a permanent barricade on Okopedi Road, a major route connecting several Ikot Abasi communities to the Atlantic coastline. It described the move as “unacceptable” and vowed to resist it.

Mboho Ikot Abasi further alleged that on May 17, 2021, SPFL, accompanied by armed security personnel, invaded ancestral lands with heavy-duty machinery, destroying farmlands, economic trees, and residential structures. The group said the incident affected Ukpum Ete, Ikpa Nnung Assang, Ikpa Ibekwe and other clans, leading to “loss of lives and brutalization of citizens.”

The group rejected the company’s Host Community Development Trust (HCDT) scheme, claiming that some communities in Ikot Abasi were deliberately excluded. It described the move as an attempt at “divide-and-rule” and demanded full inclusion of Ikot Abasi as “one indivisible entity.”

According to the Mboho, SPFL has sidelined qualified local residents in favor of non-indigenes during recruitment, while allegedly misclassifying outsiders as indigenes. It also accused the company of paying workers in Ikot Abasi less than their counterparts in Lagos and other states.

The group also claimed that despite repeated demands, SPFL had not conducted the mandatory Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) before commencing operations, in violation of Nigerian and Akwa Ibom State laws.

Mboho Ikot Abasi warned that the people of Ikot Abasi “will no longer tolerate or condone these unlawful activities” and called on the Akwa Ibom State Government to urgently intervene “to forestall a complete breakdown of law and order.”

As of press time, efforts to obtain comments from SPFL on the allegations were unsuccessful.