15 persons arrested over murder of village head, youth

The police have arrested 15 persons for allegedly killing Village Head of Nsie Community, Chief Henry Esimeme and one Sunday Walter Ukoh in Okobo Council Area of Akwa Ibom State.

Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), CSP Frederick N-Nudam, in a statement yesterday, said 14 councilors have also been declared wanted by the police in connection with the incident.

Among the suspects is the Supervisory Councilor for Finance in council, Nkereuwem John, who allegedly connived with a youth leader, Usong Morrison John, to mastermind the crime.

“The Commissioner of Police (CP), Imohimi Edgal, ordered the arrest of the suspects for taking the laws into their hands by avenging the death of a former youth president of the village, Aniefiok Mkpo-Abasi,” he said.

He disclosed that Mkpo-Abasi allegedly died after drinking some local gins mixed with herbal concoction in Ukoh’s house, thereby generating suspicion that he was killed.

Following the incident, some angry youths and elders of the village under the leadership of one Usong Morrison John and Nkereuwem John arose from a meeting at the village square and allegedly killed Esimeme and Ukoh.

“The hoodlums also set a house ablaze and damaged another. 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 on July 15 and 19, 2020. ”

“However, Edgal wondered why the people did use the community policing platform in the area to resolve all differences, but rather resorted to jungle justice and committed murder,” he said.

He disclosed that special units of the police command have been mandated to fish out other culprits currently at large.

N-Nudam said to ensure peace, order and apprehension, the Tactical Teams and the State Intelligence Bureau Personnel have been deployed to the area while an investigation panel under the Deputy Commissioner of Police in-charge of the State CID has been constituted and mandated to unravel the circumstances behind the incident.

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

“He also appealed to people of Akwa Ibom State, particularly indigenes of Nsie Village, to volunteer useful information on the whereabouts of the wanted persons to facilitate their arrest and investigation,” he said.  (Text, excluding headline, courtesy The Guardian)