The assassination of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Chieftain, Late Engr. Albert Ukpanah is like the taste of a bad groundnut chewed in error, at least in public domain-a nightmarish recurring decimal. The hope of unraveling the “real killers” of the late politician was assured by the State Governor, Chief Godswill Akpabio during the funeral service of the deceased on 24th May, 2014, when he told the family and sympathizers that those who killed his “friend” would be fished out and brought to book.
What has remained a “surprise package” to the family and the public is that about three days after the burial, precisely on Tuesday 27th May, 2014, the only son of the late politician, Odudu was arrested, remanded and later charged for murder of his father which is said to be contrary to section 38, Vol. 2, Laws of Akwa Ibom State of Nigeria 2000. The particulars of offence have it “that you Odudu Albert Ukpanah on or about the 12th day of March, 2014 at No. 40 Mkpokporo Street, Abak in the Abak Judicial Division did murder one Engr. Albert Ukapanah.”
What is really worrisome is that the police investigation report signed by the Investigating Police Officer (IPO), Sgt. Ibederro Nnamdi has pointed out ‘that the people that assassinated the deceased are likely to be the people that he was expecting” and that he is of the view that the deceased was murdered by politically motivated assassins.
At what point did the son of the deceased come in if the assassination was politically motivated? Odudu Albert Ukpanah is not a politician. The allegation preferred against the accused is preposterous as it is laughable. The police investigation also indicates that the telephone of the deceased had been forwarded to the State Security Service (SSS) for forensic analysis of the data therein. It is sad to note that the state Security Service findings are yet to be made available or ready, but the accused is charged for murder. In other words, the investigation is inconclusive and the Police expressly said so in the Police Investigations Report signed by the IPO.
What then informed/prompted the DPP to charge the Odudu Albert Ukpanah for murder? Why is the accused docked for murder? (If the Charge is as bare and unfounded as it is, why then did the DPP vehemently oppose the bail application of the accused when the application came up for hearing before Justice Ezekiel Enang in Ikot Ekpene? Why is the State employing delay tactics thus frustrating the timely hearing of the case against the accused before the High Court in Abak. Each time the case comes up, the State claims they are not ready to proceed thus warranting the return of the accused to prison custody. This has been going on for more than 3 weeks now.)
There are some areas which the security operatives have failed to investigate. One, about a week before the assassination, a credible source disclosed that the deceased had attended a meeting of selected statutory delegates at a senator’s residence in Oruk Anam. A source that attended the meeting said that the agenda of the meeting was that the people of Ukanafun/Oruk Anam Federal Constituency should explore the possibility of promoting justice and equity between the two local government areas as second term would not augur well for the people. Two persons who were not statutory delegates attended the nocturnal meeting which Ukpanah is said to have nursed the fear of letting the cat out of the bag by the enemies within. The host senator is said to have received threat calls such that he reneged his stance and even swallowed words at the town hall meeting at Ikot Akpa Nkuk on 2nd April, 2014.
Second, how many politicians did the security operatives interrogate? A second term lawmaker from the Federal Constituency is said to have consulted the Late Politician for support, but he bluntly advised the lawmaker not to ‘destroy the ancient lawmaker” after that he is said to have consistently pestered the late politician thereafter. According to the police investigation, “information at our disposal has it that the deceased was in possession of some amount of money prior to death, allegedly given to him by His Excellency, Chief (Dr.) Godswill Obot Akpabio during his first visit to Uyo (on that fateful day)…”. Governor Akpabio even opened up on the money (N2, 000,000.00) during the burial of the deceased at Nsekhe.
There is no proof that he went there on his own or was invited by Governor for the breakfast. Is it possible that he visited the family without invitation? Was he a regular visitor? “After the 2 million was given to Late Albert Ukpanah on the 12th of March, did someone call Odudu from Government house informing him that money was given to his father? Why would someone be killed on the same day money was given to him? Normal thinking Akwa IBom people should wonder how everyone heard about this 2 million. Was the money given to the Late Albert Ukpanah in the? What was the grievance that led to the “peace talk” with 12 former state officers of PDP in late December, 2013 which the deceased had told his family members and friends. How come that the deceased was a signatory to the congratulatory message that the reconciled politicians advertised in The Pioneer newspaper that hit the news stand on February 27, 2014.
The group congratulated the Governor’s wife on the award as the Most Supportive First Lady by The Sun newspaper. This development seems to puncture the statement by the governor that he did not see the late politician two years before that fateful Wednesday. It is also strange that Police have not arrested or charged any politician notwithstanding the specific finding by the police in the Police Investigations Report that the killing as politically motivated.
In view of inability of the police and SSS to conclude investigation, it calls for questioning why Odudu is put on trial when the proof of evidence accompanying the information does not disclose a prima facie case against case against Engineer Ukpanah’s son as his lawyers informed the Court. In his arguments before the Court, the leading lawyer to Odudu Ukpanah, Barr. Anietie Dunstan Inyang prays that the Charge of Murder against Odudu Ukpanah should be quashed as the information and the allegation preferred against the accused is not supported by any statement by a witness or iota of evidence linking Odudu Ukpanah with the murder of his father, Engr Albert Ukpanah. He further argued that the information filed against the accused amounts to an abuse of court processes when the charge and offence is compared and contrasted with the proof of evidence, the ingredients of the alleged offence, and the statement of the respondent’s witnesses, and that the Police Investigation Report clearly vindicates Odudu Ukpanah.
What this means is that the information arising from investigation is defective, oppressive and prejudicial to the accused. From the hasty and sudden manner that the DPP rushed to prosecute file the Charge of Murder against Odudu Ukpanah disregarding the recommendation in the police report that further investigations be done to “…reveal the actual killers”, it is obvious that there is more to it that meets the eye. There is also the fear of travesty of justice under the newly-appointed trial judge who hails from the same Local Government Area with the Chief Security Officer of the state, but legal analysts have stated that such fear is misplaced as the Judge is known to be a sound thoroughbred professional who dispense justice without fear or favour and has been doing so right from his days as a magistrate and that even Odudu’s Lead Counsel is also an indigene of Essien Udim.
What everybody finds strange is how and why Odudu Ukpanah, a brilliant UK trained Petroleum Management expert who is reputed to be a consultant for Oil and gas company can be said to have against committed a “Politically motivated” murder against his father when he does not have any political inclination at all! That is why discerning minds wonder whether Odudu Ukpanah is not being persecuted under the guise of being prosecuted as the police after a seemingly thorough investigation did not make any express findings to show that Odudu was involved whether directly or indirectly in the death of his father. In a strange twist, members of the public that we have surveyed in the matter consider that the Akwa Ibom State politicians and the DPP are the ones in the dock with the sword of Damocles dangling on its innocence, and not Odudu Ukpanah, and hope that the Court of Justice will let Odudu off the hook, (especially now that the erstwhile SSG of the state Umanah Umanah, who has been a close ally to the governor for more than 10 years has come out to accuse the latter of planning to kill him citing the assassination of Engr Ukpanah as a proof.)
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