There is panic in Ikot Obong village in Ikpa Ibekwe clan in Ikot Abasi Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State as some persons from two families dumped a corpse in the palace of the village head, Eteidung Obong Gordon Etukeren.
The incident, which occurred last Saturday, is the highpoint of a dispute between the Etukeren and Udobong families.
It arose over where the deceased, Stephen Iboro, a former staff of Aluminium Smelter Company of Nigeria (ALSCON), should be buried.
The monarch is demanding N50 million damages from those who dumped the corpse in his palace, saying he and his family are suffering from psychological trauma and health challenges from the stench oozing from the corpse.
Etukeren alleged that some persons: Uboho Jones Uku, Oliver Isaac Obot, Okon Sunday Peter, and Joy Stephen Iboro, had on March 7, 2026 brought the remains of Stephen Iboro in a coffin and dumped it in his palace.
According to him, trouble started when the Udobong family insisted that the deceased should be buried in the land belonging to his family ,Etukeren family land.
He added that he has consistently opposed it, arguing that the deceased is not a member of their family.
Eteidung Etukeren disclosed that he had obtained an injunction from the High Court of Akwa Ibom State, Ikot Abasi Division, in suit Number: HAB/MISC.4/2026, restraining the Udobong family from burying late Stephen Iboro in the Etukeren family land.
Speaking with our correspondent, Eteidung Etukeren said that the late Stephen Iboro was not a member of his family as he hailed from Otong Udobong in Ikot Obong village.
He said: “Late Stephen Isaac Iboro was accommodated by us, the Etukeren family, when he was rejected by his family.
“We gave him a house to live.
“We told him that anytime he has money he should go and buy his own land and build there.
“Fortunately he got employed in ALSCON and he made money and built his house.
“In the year 2022, when we discovered that his health was going down, we called him in our family meeting and said he should quit the house we gave him to his building.
“He pleaded that we should give him one year to put finishing touches on his building.
“We agreed.
“But unfortunately, he said he bought that place from somebody who is not related to us.
“Unfortunately again, it appeared that he was duped in the process of acquiring the land and was asked to quit.
“Sadly, in the process, he died.
“Now his brothers, the people from Otong Udobong, had gone to sell that his house for about N25 million and they are saying that he must be buried in that our family land.
“They reported me to the State Police Command accusing me of fomenting problems because I insisted that the deceased should not be buried in my family land.
“They asked the police to detain me so that they can go ahead and bury their brother in my family land, but the police discovered the truth and backed out of the matter.”
The royal father said that he had to go to court to seek justice over the matter following which he obtained a court injunction restraining the Udobong family from burying late Stephen in his family land.
Etukeren added: “However, this court injunction was served on Friday.
“That Friday, I went to the DPO here and asked that he should give me some policemen to enforce the court injunction.
“The Udobong family members threatened that they were going to bring the corpse here and finally they brought it on Saturday.”
