AKWA IBOM: WOMEN WAYLAY AKPABIO ON ACCOUNT OF KIDNAP

Sir,

AKWA IBOM: WOMEN WAYLAY AKPABIO ON ACCOUNT OF KIDNAP

It was a drama as reported in the Daily Sun of Monday August 23, 2010: Hundreds of women of Onna Local Government of Akwa Ibom State led by the wife of the paramount ruler of Onna, Obonganwan Patience Ukpa, stormed the Governor’s Lodge in Uyo Sunday August 22, 2010. Their mission was to request Governor Akpabio to ensure the release of the Chairman of Onna Local Government, Deaconness Mrs. Owodighe Ekpoattai, who was kidnapped on Thursday August 19, 2010 on her way to Uyo after stakeholders meeting in Abat, the headquarters of the Local Government. In the kidnap saga a police officer attached to the LGA chairman was killed.

The newspaper reported that the women got to the gate of the Government House but the governor drove (out) pass immediately on noticing them. He never stopped to know what the crowd was there for but the women resolved to wait there till he returned. Meanwhile the Commissioner of Police in Akwa Ibom, Mr. Walter Rugbere, in his characteristic manner confirmed that some persons who he described as ‘mere suspects’ have been arrested.

The newspaper recalled that this is the second Local Government Chairman in the State to have been kidnapped. The first was Mr. Nse Ntuen who happens to be of the Essien Udim, the governors home local government area. Ntuen then regained his freedom and appreciated the governor who he said (in the media) that he owed his release to. At the time Ntuen mentioned that his abductors demanded N500million ransom but did not know how much they were eventually settled with. This probably must have prompted the Onna women reaching out to governor Akpabio to enlist his support for the release of their own local government chairperson.

But one thing is common in all the high profile kidnappings and political assassinations that have been taking place in Akwa Ibom: None has recorded arrest of real, actual kidnappers.

Samuel Okon Bassey: Goldie Street: CALABAR: Cross River State.