New Telegraph

A’Ibom: 15 arrested for village head, youth’s murder

Police have arrested 15 people for allegedly killing Chief Henry Esimeme, the village head of Nsie community, and a youth, Sunday Walter Ukoh, in the Okobo Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State.
The state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), CSP Frederick N-Nudam, said in a statement yesterday that 14 people have also been declared wanted by the police in connection with the incident.
Among the suspects is the Supervisory Councillor for Finance in the Okobo Local Government Area, Nkereuwem John, who allegedly teamed up with a youth leader, Usong Morrison John, to mastermind the crime.
N-Nudam said the Commissioner of Police, Imohimi Edgal, ordered the arrest of the suspects for allegedly taking laws into their hands by avenging the death of a former youth president of the village, Aniefiok Mkpo-Abasi.

The PPRO said Mkpo-Abasi allegedly died after drinking some local gins mixed with herbal concoction in the house of Ukoh, thereby sparking the suspicion and anger that he was deliberately killed.
He added: “The Police Command received a disturbing report of mayhem in Nsie village occasioned by an incident in which the former youth president of Nsie village, Aniefiok Mkpo-Abasi aka King of Boys, was alleged to have died on 12th July, 2020 on suspicion of drinking some local gin mixed with herbal concoction in the house of one Sunday Walter Ukoh of the same address.

“Following the incident, some disgruntled youths and elders of Nsie village under the aegis of the youth president, Usong Morrison John and Nkereuwem John, the Supervisory Councillor for Finance, Okobo Local Government Area, arose from a meeting held at the village square and allegedly attacked and killed the village head of Nsie, Chief Henry Esimeme, and Sunday Walter Ukoh.
“In a related development, the hoodlums set a house on fire while another one was damaged.
“The Commissioner of Police immediately deployed patrol teams to the village and restored normalcy while 15 of the suspects fingered in the incident were arrested in two separate operations on 15th and 19th July, 2020.

“However, the Commissioner of Police wondered why the people did not take advantage of the community policing platform already in the area to resolve all differences, but rather resorted to jungle justice and at the end committed murder.”

N-Nudam disclosed that special units of the police command had been mandated to fish out other culprits currently on the run.

He added: “To ensure sustainable peace, order, and apprehension of other suspects, the Tactical Teams and the State Intelligence Bureau personnel have been deployed to the affected area while a high-powered investigation panel under the Deputy Commissioner of Police in-charge of the State Criminal Investigations and Intelligence Department (SCIID) has been constituted and mandated to unravel the circumstances surrounding the incident.

“Again, the CP warns other suspected perpetrators of the crime who had deserted or fled from the community to report at the nearest police station in their own interest or risk arrest and prosecution.

“The Commissioner of Police appeals to the good people of Akwa Ibom State, particularly the indigenes of Nsie village to volunteer useful information on the whereabouts of the above-wanted persons for arrest and investigation.”

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