Etim Effiong
Commissioner of Police in Akwa Ibom State, Edgar Imohimi, has declared 14 persons wanted for murder of Nsie village head in Okobo Local Government Area, one Chief Henry Esimeme and one Sunday Walter Ukoh.
A statement by the Police Public Relations Officer, CSP N-Nudam Fredrick, on Tuesday, added that on July 15, the command received a disturbing report of mayhem in Nsie village following the death of a former youth president of the village, one Aniefiok Mkpo-Abasi, aka, King of Boys.
According to the police report, Mkpo-Abasi was alleged to have died on July 12 on suspicion of drinking some local gins mixed with herbs in the house of Ukoh.
The statement read, “Following the incident, some disgruntled youths and elders of Nsie village under the aegis of the youth president, one Usong Morrison John ‘m’ and Nkereuwem John ‘m’, the Supervisory Councillor for Finance, Okobo Local Government Area rose from a meeting held at the village square and allegedly attacked and killed the village head of Nsie, one Chief Henry Esimeme ‘m’ and Sunday Walter Ukoh.
“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 July 15 and 19.
“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, rather they resorted to jungle justice and at the end committed murder.
“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 CID has been constituted and mandated to unravel the circumstances surrounding the incident.”
The police commissioner warned other suspected perpetrators of the crime, who had fled from the community, to report at the nearest police station in their own interest or risk arrest and prosecution.
Those declared wanted are Nkereuwem John, Supervisory Councillor for Finance, Okobo LGA; Bassey Okon, a.k.a Ajasco; Kingsley Enefiok Mkpo-Abasi; Victor Esereke; Philip Akpe a.k.a Bully; Edet Okon Abang; Victor Edet Daniel; Ikem Fidelis; Usong Morrison John – Youth Leader; Edet Sunday Nyong.
Others are Nkereuwem Okon Peter; Unwana Okon Oyonowi; Emmanuel Sunday Esio, and Chief Paul Uloh.
Imohimi appealed to Akwa Ibom citizens, particularly the indigenes of Nsie village, to volunteer useful information on the whereabouts of the above-wanted persons for arrest and investigation.