… Go to Court, Paramount Ruler Dares Protesters
By Magnus Effiong
The Obong of Calabar’s appeal for a peaceful resolution of the six years leadership crisis in Henshaw Town community of Calabar South may have hit the rock, that is, going by the recent developments in the area.
PillarToday reports that some natives of the community, Tuesday, staged a peaceful protest, demanding, amongst other things, the removal of the Paramount Ruler of Calabar South local government area, HRM Etubom Nyong Effiom Okon, “for actions that clearly violate his oath of office.”
They carried placards with inscriptions such as ‘Henshaw Town Community is in Crisis,’ ‘Remove the Paramount Ruler of Calabar South,’ ‘Stop the Illegal Arrest,’ ‘We want Peace in Henshaw Town,’ ‘Stop Paramount Ruler’s Agents from Terrorizing Our Community,’ ‘Come to Our Help, Our Dear Governor,’ amongst others.
Our reporter said the angry protesters marched to the Governor’s Office where they submitted a protest letter for Gov Bassey Otu on their grievances, and thereafter went to the Palace of the Obong of Calabar to again register their anger.
The letter, signed by Etubom Ekpo Nsa Ekeng and nine others and titled ‘Petition Against the Unlawful Arrest, Intimidation and Abuse of Police Apparatus by Etubom Nyong Effiom Okon and Allies to Disrupt Peace in Henshaw Town, Calabar,’ enumerated the alleged crimes of the Paramount Ruler to include ‘Terror and Intimidation, Abuse of Office, Illegitimate Authority.’
They alleged that natives and residents of the community were being terrorized with “frequent arrest, detention, arraignment, trial, and wrongful convictions”
The letter read in part: “For the past two months, the Henshaw Town Council and community have witnessed an escalation in the ongoing Council leadership crisis.
“This crisis is fueled by the actions of Etubom Nyong Effiom Okon, whose claims to the Presidency of the Council have been legally invalidated (as evidenced in Document 1: Court Judgment of July 2019)”
According to them, “The most recent incident demonstrates the alleged abuse of power and wrongful use of security agencies by Etubom Nyong Effiom Okon.
“On September 20, 2025, the Acting President, Etubom Ekpo Nsa Ekeng, announced a meeting for all factions, tagged Nkot Mbõk Nsiduñg 2025, for Sept 25, 2025, to begin a genuine peace process (Document 7). (Legitimate and peaceful intent.)
“However, the day before the proposed peace meeting, Wednesday, September 24, 2025, Etubom Nyong Effiom Okon, the Paramount Ruler of Calabar South, called for the suspension of the proposed peace meeting and convened his own counter-meeting at 11:00 AM at the same venue (Document 8).
“Sept 25, 2025. Etubom Ekpo Nsa and his delegation arrived at the HTC Secretariat and were barred from entry. Shortly after, One Etubom and six other community members (7 individuals) were unlawfully arrested and detained by the Anti-Cultism Squad.
“Among the 7 arrested were three women, including an elderly woman in her mid-70s who is also a stroke victim and uses a walking stick,” the letter read in part.
The protesters called for justice and demanded that the government should: “Investigate this crisis and bring the culprits to justice. Remove Etubom Nyong Effiom Okon from his authority as the Clan Head and Paramount Ruler for actions that clearly violate his oath of office.
“Order a full investigation into all allegations and the use of state security apparatus to disrupt a legitimate peace process and effect unlawful arrests. Ensure the immediate and full protection of the authentic Henshaw Town Council leadership and the Nkot Mbõk Nsiduñg peace process.
“Order a thorough, unbiased investigation into the actions of Etubom Nyong Effiom Okon regarding the unlawful use of the Anti-Cultism Squad to arrest and detain members of the Henshaw Town Council on September 25, 2025. Ensure that the community’s legitimate peace process, Nkot Mbõk Nsiduñg, can proceed without further interference or security threats.”
Addressing the protesters, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Chieftaincy Affairs, Otuekong Francis Edet, commended them for the peaceful nature of the protest.
He decried the continuous tumult in Henshaw Town community and noted “When there’s no peace in the community, when there is no harmony, there cannot be progress, because the government wants peace to reign in all the communities so that it can extend the ‘People First’ dividends of democracy.”
Otuekong Edet promised to pass their message to the Governor, assuring that the matter would be handled to the satisfaction of all the parties.
However, reacting to allegations against him, in a telephone chat, the Paramount Ruler, HRM Etubom Okon described the protesters as “dissidents” who have no tangible thing to do to improve their lives, and dared them to go to court if they have anything against him.
“I have more than twenty million people in my local government area. The clan, which I am the Clan Head, has 21 villages. If I was a bad person as they are painting me, more than three million would have come out to protest against me.
“Out of the figure I mentioned, only ten lazy individuals said they were protesting. Why did their village heads not take part in the so-called protest? They are dissidents who are out just to foment trouble. Let them go to court.
“Besides, how to remove a village head, clan head or Paramount Ruler is encapsulated in Cross River State laws. If they have any issue with me, let them follow the proper channels,” he told our reporter.
