Policemen arrested for terrorising A’Ibom community – The Punch newspaper

By Etim Ekpimah

The Commissioner of Police, Akwa Ibom State Command, Mr. Murtala Mani, has said that some policemen accused of involvement in armed robbery cases or assisting robbers to terrorise Owotuta community in Ibesikpo/Asutan Local Government Area of the state, have been arrested.

The CP, who spoke with our correspondent in Uyo on Tuesday, said a new set of policemen had been posted to the area to conduct investigation on the matter and also check the rate of criminal activities.

“We have arrested all the policemen who had been linked to the criminal activities at Owotuta community. They are in the cells. You cannot wear uniforms and start terrorising the people.

“We have sent new sets of policemen to the area to conduct in-depth investigation into the matter. Any policeman found culpable will be prosecuted,” he said.

The policemen were arrested following allegations by the indigenes that many of the criminal activities in the area were masterminded by some policemen.

The village head, Chief Emil Isaac, who spoke with journalists on Monday, said the community had been living in fear due to incessant robbery attacks.

He stated that whenever the police began shooting during the day, armed robbers would besiege the community in the night of the same day.

According to him, the bandits who operated in 20s, rape married women in front of their husbands while single women are raped in front of their fathers and boyfriends. He added that female youth corps members posted to the community had also been raped.

He said Owotuta indigenes no longer enjoyed the essence of living as most times they have to sleep in the bush because of fear of armed robbery attacks.

Isaac revealed that the vigilance group, which the community had formed to combat the bandits, could not withstand them as the criminals often invade the community with sophisticated weapons.

“We live in perpetual fear. The armed robbers have turned our community into their workshop. They attack us at least three to four times a month. We do not enjoy the essence of living.

“The robbers upon pillaging the community, rape both married and single women. In the case of married women, the robbers who compel their husbands to open their wives’ legs also order them to observe how they rape the women.

“The others who are single but live with their parents or boyfriends; the parents or boyfriends are also made to open the legs of these women as they also order them to watch how they (the women) are being raped. The female youth corps members are not exception as they had also been raped on many occasions,” he said.

Isaac also expressed anger that policemen disrupted the traditional rites being carried by the community to end the incessant robbery attacks in the area.

He noted that since the community had tried all they could to end the criminal activities but to no avail, they resolved to seek the protection of their ancestors.

He stated that when the community met on Friday, October 16, to begin the process of mbiam (juju) rite, a son to a policeman (who is also a policeman) began to take video of the procedures.

He added that it was at that process that the community asked him to stop taking video of the ceremony. He said after persuasion for him to stop, he told them that he wanted to show the video clips to his father who was at home.

“I asked him to delete what he had filmed; but he told me that he wanted to show his father what the community was doing. It was then the youths pushed him and as he walked towards me, I asked him why he had to film the juju rite.

“Then I asked, ‘Why must you show the video of what we did to your father when everybody, indigenes and non-indigenes had been asked to be present at the ceremony?’ Why did he (the father) not come as he was at home? I asked him to delete the video and he did. Afterwards he left; and we did not know where he was heading to.

“As we continued with the rite, the police invaded the place, and arrested me and eight others. They shot into the air indiscriminately and disrupted the traditional rite,” he said.

One of the victims, a corps member, Mr. Emmanuel Johnson, said that on Saturday, September 26, around 2 am robbers broke into their base.

“As robbers came in, they forced my door opened, shot me at the leg and went away with my official laptop, phones and N5,000. I begged them to leave my official laptop because of sensitive documents I have in the system,” he said.

According to him, the robbers said, “Are you arguing with thieves; Are you begging a thief?’ And as I was still negotiating with them, they used the butt of the gun to hit me on my forehead and nose.”

A youth leader, Mr. Solomon Nyong, said many of the policemen had not been transferred out of the area for the past 15 years. He noted that some of the policemen might have been members of the gangs.

He called on the police authority to look into the documents of policemen and officers at Ikot Obio Odongo and transfer those who are due out of the community.

The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Cordelia Nwawe, ASP, asked the public to always provide useful information to the police, especially those policemen who go about molesting innocent citizens.

Culled from The Punch newspaper

A’Ibom: Police arrest cop for shooting driver over bribe – Punch newspaper

By Etim Ekpimah

The Akwa Ibom State Police Command has arrested a policeman, who shot at a driver with the Akwa Ibom Transport Company.

The policeman was said to have opened fire on the driver for refusing to part with bribe at a road block along the Iwukem Road, Etim Ekpo Local Government Area of the state.

The State Police Commissioner, Murtala Mani, who said this during an interview with journalists in Uyo, on Tuesday, explained that the command had begun a full-scale investigation into the matter.

Mani assured the people that the policeman would face the full wrath of the law if found culpable, declaring that the police would not tolerate indiscipline in any form.

The CP said the wounded driver was recuperating at an undisclosed hospital.

He stated that cases of homicide had reduced in the state owing to the proper synergy between the police Homicide Department and state anti-robbery squad.

Mani urged the people of the state not to worry about the increased presence of police patrol vehicles on the streets, stressing that it was a strategy to show the populace of police readiness to ensure crime free yuletide.

“Akwa Ibom is now relatively peaceful, one of the states with the lowest crime rate in the country. To achieve this, we have to strategically deploy our men to ensure adequate security across the state,” he said.

The police boss, however, said the problem of sea pirates was the biggest challenge facing the command, adding that the command had increased security presence along the shores of the state.

Culled from Punch newspaper

A’Ibom lawmaker escapes death as bullet hits cousin

By Etim Ekpimah

A member representing Uruan Constituency in the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly, Mr. Aniekan Bassey, escaped being killed after a team of policemen invaded his house at Ekim Enen, in the Uruan Local Government Area.

PUNCH Metro learnt that the policemen, who were in two patrol vans, allegedly stormed the lawmaker’s family house, claiming to be searching for an undisclosed exhibit on Sunday.

An eyewitness, Iquo Edet, told our correspondent that the lawmaker’s cousin, Mr. Akan Bassey, who rushed out of the bathroom to check what was happening, was shot as soon as he disclosed his name to them.

According to Edet, the policeman who shot Akan, might have mistaken him (Akan) for Aniekan, adding that the bullet pierced through his breastplate.

“I think the policemen came for a mission. What exhibit were they looking for? Who has something here to hide?

“If they had succeeded in killing him, they would either say it was an accidental discharge or look for something incriminating to present before the public who will judge him as criminal since the dead cannot talk,” she said.

Aniekan, who spoke with our correspondent on the telephone on Monday, said he was still in shock over the incident. He described the act as shocking and barbaric.

He said, “I quickly rushed to the crime scene which took place around 2pm on Sunday and helped rush the victim to a hospital.”

Aniekan, who did not reveal the name of the hospital, where the victim was taken, said the doctor gave prompt attention to him. He noted that his cousin was lucky that the bullet did not go through his heart.

Aniekan said he would do everything within his power to ensure that the policemen, who were involved in the act, paid for it.

The Police Public Relations Officer, Akwa Ibom State Command, Cordelia Nwawe, said the policeman did not aim the gun at anybody, adding that the incident was an accidental discharge.

She said, “Investigation is ongoing at the moment. The injured victim is undergoing treatment; he is responding to treatment. Hopefully, he will be home tomorrow.

“But the accident did not occur out of malice. Parties concerned have never had any problem. It was an accidental discharge.”

She said the Commissioner of Police, Mr. Murtala Mani, had ordered a diligent investigation into the matter.

Culled from Punch