Akwa Ibom State commissioner for Information, Mr. Aniekan Umanah last week Monday escaped a mob action in Abak along Park lane and sources say it took the intervention of his mobile police security team to ferry him away to safety in the ensuing stampede that would have caused serious bodily injury to the state information commissioner.
But Aniekan Umanah in a phone chat with our reporter denied neither being attacked nor attempts to lynch him by a group or any group of people and described himself as a home boy who is always at peace with his people.
Those who witnessed the scene informed our reporter that on the said Monday, Aniekan Umanah had stopped by at a certain joint owned by BOYO, who is said to be a relative of Mr. Umanah and had ordered that drinks be given to the youths who were already enjoying themselves. The youths are said to hail from Abak/Ika and Etim Ekpo and have outrightly rejected Umanah’s drinks alleging that the information boss is stingy and that he is only giving them drinks because he wants their support for his 2015 House of Representatives ambition which he will not win. The youths are said to thereafter charged at him and went for his jugular.
On sensing danger and trouble, Aniekan Umanah’s security team of Mobile policemen are said to have rushed into the rescue. The security team had to fire several gun shots and canisters of tear gas into the air to scare away the youths who were still charging at the information commissioner asking him to leave them and return to Uyo were he is based. An eye witness informed that the counter force by men of the Nigerian Police to ferry Umanah did not scare the youths away but rather drew the attention of other youths who had to mobilize and came out ready for action. It took the intervention of one of few of the youths including BOYO to call the youths to order and that allowed space for the police men to smuggle the information commissioner out to safety.
While speaking to our news desk, Aniekan Umanah first of all replied via SMS that “Nobody attacked me. Few known chaps were actually cheering and came forward for some hospitality and I told them I will send them something”. In a phone conversation, Aniekan Umanah reasoned that, these are all young boys I know, they were just approaching me for some support and so I told them when I come back because I did not really have money in my pocket, I told them I will send something to them. I went to see BOYO very briefly and there I saw them and I bought them drinks so they actually came to me.
Like two or three of them wanted money cash, I told them I will send a message to them. I know all of them that were there; they did not stone me with pure water or any bottle things. Why should they do that, I do not have any problem with any of them, I do not have issues with them. They were not quarrelling with me and you know youths when they see you and you don’t give them money immediately they say oh oh oh oh. Nobody attacked me.
Aniekan Umanah however acknowledged that his policemen had fired several gunshots into the air. He argued that the gunshots were not targeted at anybody but just that it was customary for the police to show presence whenever they go to or pass through dark areas.
No comments:
Post a Comment