The police in Akwa Ibom State have arraigned a social media user and advocate over allegations of criminal defamation, threats, and conduct capable of breaching public peace, following her posts accusing Governor Umo Eno of unlawful sales of community land.
In a statement on Thursday, the Commissioner of Police in the state, Baba Azare, said the woman, God’sown Monday Udoito, was charged on six counts after a petition dated 10 January 2026.
According to the police, investigations showed that Ms Udoito allegedly used her Facebook account, with over 20,000 followers, to publish and circulate what the police described as “false and defamatory” statements accusing Governor Eno of selling ancestral lands in Eket Local Government Area and misappropriating the proceeds.
PREMIUM TIMES has not seen the alleged post. The police said it contained threats, including references to spiritual forces, and was capable of inciting fear, panic and public disorder in Eket and Esit Eket areas of the state.
Ms Udoito, this newspaper gathered, pleaded not guilty to the charges.
The police said she has been remanded in a correctional custody, adding that the case would be prosecuted “in line with due process and the rule of law.”
Arrest heightens tension
The arraignment comes amid heightened tension between the Akwa Ibom State Government and communities in Eket over the disputed Stubbs Creek Forest Reserve, which has generated sustained protests and public commentary.
Ms Udoito hails from Eket and is known locally for her advocacy on land rights in the Stubbs Creek area, also known as Akoiyak Ekid.
PREMIUM TIMES gathered that Ms Udoito has been using her Facebook page to advocate against the alleged plans by the state government to forcibly take over the disputed forest reserve, which the Ibeno people also claim ownership of.
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This newspaper previously reported the dispute over the forest reserve, detailing long-running disagreements between the Akwa Ibom State Government and Ekid communities over ownership and control.
The Ekid People’s Union has warned that Ms Udoito’s arrest could signal “the beginning of the clampdown on our advocacy for our rights.”
The union urged that Ms Udoito “must be treated with dignity, respect and within the ambit of the law”.
