AKWA IBOM: CALLING ON IGP ONOVO’S CONDOLENCE VISIT

Sir,

AKWA IBOM: CALLING ON IGP ONOVO’S CONDOLENCE VISIT

One Paul Inyang was murdered in a church premise in Ibesikpo-Asutan LGA of Akwa Ibom three months back. IGP Onovo left his base in Abuja and rushed down to Uyo for a condolence visit to a man he never knew before or had any occupational relevance with. Onovo also received souvenir (as pictorially reported in the media) from Governor Godswill Akpabio during the visit. Back to Abuja Onovo probably acting a script, arrested and detained Senator James Udoedegbe alleging his involvement in Inyang’s murder. The Senator was Akpabio’s 2007 Campaign Director and later FCT Minister of State. After the Police thoroughly investigated the Senator it found nothing incriminating him with the murder and his international passport was returned to him. Earlier, Akwa Ibom government identified and advertised in the media one Monday Akpautong whose house the governor ordered demolished without following due and law processes. Monday, presently at large, has been identified as owner of a car earlier purchased for him by governor Akpabio.

But this is not the issue now but that a Police officer attached to the kidnapped Onna Local Government Chairperson, Mrs. Owoidighe Akpoattai, was shot dead August 19, 2010. Police being Onovo’s constituency, the citizens expect his condolence visit to the family of the murdered Police Officer more than he did to Paul Inyang’s.

IGP Onovo and his Akwa Ibom Commissioner of Police have been heavily criticised in their various ways of handling many kidnap and assassination cases in Akwa Ibom among which was the kidnap and eventual murder of the mother of a Singapore-based Akwa Ibom shipbuilder, Engineer Udonwa. It will be recalled that Commissioner Rugbere informed the media that the kidnappers held the old woman for fifty days before murdering and dumping her remains on a street. He explained that the kidnappers had expected Udonwa family to announce the withdrawal of Engineer Udonwa from governorship race or a confirmation that the shot engineer was dead; a request the family could not meet hence life was snuffed out of the old woman. Engineer Udonwa has since escaped back to Singapore.

Udy Etop Akpabio, Umuahia Road, Ikot Ekpene, Akwa Ibom State.