Tension has gripped the Ikot Obong community after members of the Udobong Royal Family placed the coffin of a deceased relative at the residence of the village head following a dispute over his burial location.
According to a resident, Nsikakabasi Akpan, the late Stephen Jacob Iboro, a member of the Udobong Royal Family, was scheduled to be buried on his land after a funeral service conducted by members of the Jehovah’s Witnesses on Saturday, March 7, 2026, at the Ikot Obong Village Council Hall.
The crisis began when the village head, Eteidung Obong Gordon Etukeren, opposed the burial on the land, claiming ownership of the property.
Community sources said both the deceased and the village head belong to the same lineage within the Udobong Royal Family. The late Iboro reportedly had no children, and the village head was said to have insisted that the land and property should revert to him following Iboro’s death.
However, other members of the family rejected the claim and insisted that the deceased should be buried on the property he had occupied during his lifetime.
The Chief Mourner, Oliver Isaac Obot, stated that the late Iboro purchased the land about 13 years ago and built a house on it where he lived until his death.
Family members also claimed that documents confirming the deceased’s ownership of the land were presented, but the village head allegedly refused to acknowledge them.
The matter was later reported to the Nigeria Police Force headquarters in Ikot Akpan Abia, where both parties were invited for a meeting.
Sources said that during the meeting, which was attended by the state Commissioner of Police, the village head reportedly signed an agreement allowing the burial to take place on the land.
However, the situation took another turn when the village head allegedly obtained a court injunction on Friday, March 6, restraining the family from carrying out the burial on the property.
The injunction reportedly came after the family had already printed funeral programmes and invited guests.
Despite the development, the funeral service proceeded as scheduled on Saturday. After the service, members of the family carried the coffin to the palace of the village head and placed it there in protest over the dispute.
As of the time of filing this report, the coffin was still lying at the palace, while tensions remained high in the community.