These are not the best of times in Governor Godswill Akpabio led Akwa Ibom state following renewed attacks on her by men of the underworld who are out to kill, destroy and maim. There have been some deadly attacks in the state leaving scores dead and many others injured very recently. The recent murder of the late Albert Ukpanah and the complications in the fight towards unraveling those behind it smacks of a high powered connection in it.
Last Tuesday. The man believed to be coordinating the gubernatorial ambition of the former SSG Obong Umana Okon Umana escaped death by the grace of God. Chief Sonni Udom who called a press conference in his office in Uyo to raise the alarm told newsmen near the uyo township stadium that he was surprised someone could attempt to take his life as according to him, he has done nothing to warrant anybody attempting to kill him.
Sonni Udom in his release made available to newsmen had observed that, he was saved by divine intervention.
Addressing the media last week Thursday flanked by political associates in his office, Chief Soni Udom a chieftain of the ruling People’s Democratic Party from Abak five area of the state said that he received a call by 2:34pm that some gun men had raided his office in Uyo which was a grave concern for him since the office in the last seven years has never recorded any incident of criminal operation in broad day light around the neighbourhood.
He said according to eye witness reports the gun men, who were five in number came into the premises and held hostage, the security men and other officials and staff including students on industrial Training and a youth corper at gun point, seizing their phones and ransacking each room in all the offices looking for him.
The gun men according to the former chairman of the Akwa Ibom Industrial Property Company (APICO) who was recently sacked along with five other board chairmen by the state Governor, Chief Godswill Akpabio related eye witness accounts were well armed with some two pistols strapped to their waist and a twist to their invasion occur when some of the assassins started picking phones from his staff as one of them shouted “is that what we came for” and shot him, cutting his finger.
Chief Soni Udom has been in the fore front for credible elections in the state and has condemned any zoning arrangement towards the 2015 general elections even as this recent attempt once again rears up the anxiety of political assassinations of high profile politicians in the state especially after the recent killing of another chieftain of the party, Chief Albert Ukpanah also from the same area with the killers yet to be unraveled.
Chief Soni Udom stated that if it were not for God that he was not around, he would have been history even as he had laid a formal report to the relevant security agencies in the state while awaiting their reports as he had tendered the finger blown off by one of the assailants for a possible lead to capture the gun men who left with a trial of blood round the rooms, without touching any valuables as they later abandoned the phones they had seized.
He told newsmen that the assassins spoke in Hausa language while shooting sporadically into the air.
But meanwhile, while Sonni Udom was careful with his words and whom he is pointing accusing fingers at, the former Deputy Speaker of the State House of Assembly Mr. Uwem Udoma was more vocal. He pointed accusing fingers at the Government of the day led by Governor Godswill Akpabio. Udoma said Udom belongs to the class of people that believes that the senate seat of Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District should not be zoned to Godswill Akpabio but to the people of Abak 5. He added that the former member for Abak federal constituency Obongemem Ekperikpe Ekpo was earlier threatened by a well placed Government personnel who announced that guns will visit the Ex Assemblyman. Udoma who however refused to mention the Government personnel he was referring to added that the same Government personnel is fond of going round and boasting that there are three Gs that will decide the 2015 general elections, according to him, the three Gs are, God, Government and Guns. Udoma went further to accuse the Government personnel as having boasted that the three things are in control of the system. He however raised an alarm stressing that if anything happens to him, he knows whom to blame and hold responsible.
Another prominent son of the state who still last weekend escaped being killed is the former Commissioner for Science and technology and a federal House of Representatives member hopeful Mr. Samuel Effanga. But not for the intervention of God, Effanga today would have been resting in the mortuary awaiting burial. THE INK gathered that assassins had jumped into the Uyo man’s OsongAma residence at about 8pm and shot severally into the air to scare away any form of retaliation or an alarm. The armed men numbering over five are said to have rushed to first of all attack the civilian security men at Effanga’s gate only for them to meet a locked door as those ones had rushed into the house to lock the door. They are said to have attempted to trick the security men by saying, “Come open door, oga dey call you”
When it became obvious that they were unwelcomed visitors, the security men are said to have called Effanga who was already preparing to go for a meeting that night to alert the police as armed men had invaded the compound. The attention of the police was called. And they (policemen) arrived forty minutes later. On sensing that calls were being sent to different security formations, the killers who are said to have been communicating in Hausa dialects are said to have taken to their heels. An eye witness said, he sighted the killers as far as a particular refuge bin along OsongAma Estate by junction leading to Dove Schools.
Before the assassins visited Effanga at night, they are said to have earlier paid a visit to Effanga in the day time were they are said to have told the gatemen that they came to see Barr Johnson, when they were informed that nobody of such nomenclature occupies the building, one of them is said to have demanded for drinking water. When it became obvious that their tricks were not bought by the security men on duty, they had to disperse. The two who were at the gate had to signal to those at the bush and two men are said to have joined them out of the location. And if Effanga and occupants of his residence had hoped that was going to be the end, they were wrong as the suspected assassins had to remobilize and arrived the compound to execute their devilish action. Samuel Effanga confirmed the attempt on his life and added that he has since reported the matter to the police and the appropriate security formations.
On what the police formation is doing to counter the upsurge of insecurity in the state which has since sent so many personalities out of town, the state PPRO Etim Dickson said the police in Akwa Ibom state has perfected plans to fight the upsurge and urged ever persons to help the police by giving useful information that will help in the tracking down of those behind the ugly trend. Etim Dickson maintained that the police is not leaving any stone unturned in her quest to ensure that it gives the state and her citizenry maximum support and safety. Whether the police are really serious about this remains to be seen as only time will tell.
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