Sunny Ibanga may be arrested

Sunny Ibanga may be arrested

The Nigerian Police may decidedly go after the former Deputy Chairman of PDP and now APC strongman Chief Sunny Ibanga over his presentation of guns to Obong Nsima Ekere last week Saturday in Ikot Ekpene with an instruction that the MD of NDDC should use it to deal with anyone who may wish to stand on his way to the Governorship of Akwa Ibom State come 2019.

THE INK gathered from top echelon of the Police force in Akwa Ibom State that at the moment they are under pressure from some human rights, the academia and other concerned groups to go after the Ikot Ekpene man.

But however acknowledged that they may not go after him until they get an order of mandamus from a court before they swing into action and possibly arrest Sunny Ibanga and get him prosecuted.

It could be recalled that on Saturday last week during a rally to show solidarity with President Muhammadu Buhari and support Mr. Nsima Ekere for the 2019 presidential and Governorship election respectively, Chief Sunny Ibanga had presented guns packaged in a souvenir form and handed them to Nsima Ekere as a souvenir from Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District warning that the NDDC man should not hesitate to deal with whoever, whatever or whatsoever would want to stop his ascension to the seat of power in 2019.

Ibanga’s gun gift did not really go down well with Akwa Ibomites who argue that it is an invitation to violence. Many respondents who spoke with our correspondents said, what Sunny Ibanga did is a clear testament to the fact that the APC in Akwa Ibom is ready to kill and maim so as to take power from the PDP whom they say has been going round consulting and consolidating on her position as the leading party in the state.

A Professor of Political Science and Public Administration from the University of Uyo who spoke to THE INK correspondent said, Ibanga is a known trouble maker and recalled that in the year 2011, Sunny Ibanga had with his vantage position then instigated the crises that claimed so many lives in Ikot Ekpene and Uyo Local Government Areas.

The University Don maintained that in a saner society that Sunny Ibanga would be arrested and charged to court for instigating violence. He said that it is worrisome that Chief Ibanga would in his quest to impress the APC would go as far as presenting such items to the NDDC boss.

Another University Don who spoke with our correspondent in Uyo maintained that violence in any form should be condemned noting that the action of Sunny Ibanga is worrisome, troubling and ridiculous.

“We cannot continue like this, we must rise up and condemn Sunny Ibanga and such action. This is beyond politics, this is absolute hatred, very terrible for Akwa Ibom. Its quite unfortunate for Sunny Ibanga to seek to reintroduced what he did in 2011 into 2019. But I am of the opinion that with the representations we have done to the Police in Akwa Ibom State, that the erratic human being will be brought to book.

Similarly the Akwa Ibom Human Rights Community says the action of Sunny Ibanga is worrisome, unacceptable, callous and unfriendly. They said, it is high time Akwa Ibomites express total rejection of Ibanga’s mischievous gift to a man like  Nsima Ekere who is highly respected in the society and in Nigeria.

Speaking through her Cordinator Barr Clifford Thomas, the group however said dangerously as Ibanga’s gift is that the Human Right Community will not go to court adding that the forum is carefully choosing her fights and added that they will however encourage the Police to keep its door open in case they receive an order of mandamus from the court propelling them to arrest and prosecute Sunny Ibanga. He said if the police receives this, they should not hesitate to act according to the law.

Meanwhile lawyers and others have called on the Police to begin action against Ibanga as they noted will serve as a deterrent to others who may have motives of creating violence in the state as election year draws closer.