Police Arrest Council Chairman, others over Secretary’s Murder

BY GLORY CHRIST

The Akwa Ibom State Police Command has reportedly arrested the transition chairman of Ukanafun Local Government Area, Mr. Abasiono Udomfu, and three others over the gruesome murder of the council’s secretary, Mr. Ime Atakpa.

It was learnt that an aide to the chairman, Mr. Akaninyene Ibout, was arrested on Wednesday after the visit of the wife of the Akwa Ibom State governor, Mrs. Martha Emmanuel, to the area to inaugurate a building for widows on Tuesday. The house was said to have been built by the late secretary.

A sister to Atakpa’s wife, who did not want her name in print, told journalists in Uyo on Sunday that Udomfu, during Emmanuel’s visit, raised up his hands declaring, “God knows that my hands are clean concerning the murder of the LG secretary.”

She said that after the chairman had made the assertion, Ibout also announced that his hands were clean and that he did not have anything to do with the killing of the late LG secretary.

It was learnt that the police intelligence who were in the area at the time they were making the statements, arrested Ibout on Wednesday.

He was said to have named the chairman and two other people of involvement in the alleged murder of the council secretary.

It was gathered that Udomfu had made attempts to bribe the policemen that arrested him, asking them not to disgrace him.

He was also said to have begged the policemen to allow him call his wife to bring money for their settlement, but the police were said to be adamant.