Will Insecurity return to Uyo Again?

Citizens of Akwa Ibom State have started expressing fear of the return of insecurity ahead of the 2027 polls on the heels of the alliance between Pastor Umo Eno, governor of the State and Chief Godswill Obot Akpabio, Senate President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. This is even as there are calls on the governor to set up a Panel of enquiry to look into revelations by Princess Pat Akpabio linking Chief Akpabio who governed the State between 2007 -2015 to kidnapping for ransom, politically motivated assassinations that characterised his government.

While some Akwa Ibomites have okayed the decision of Pastor Umo Eno work for Tinubu and the APC, anxiety now mount as to whether the governor will adopt Chief Akpabio’s mafian style of politics, voilence and killing as opposition begins to mount against the APC and his second term bid.

Chief Godswill Akpabio is a former Governor of Akwa Ibom State. He governed the State under the Peoples Democratic Party, the PDP. As governor, Akpabio did not brood opposition. Akpabio had governed the State with notorious cult groups amalgamated into what was then known as Akwa Ibom Youth Caucus. Ndem Andem, a lawyer and activist in many of the petitions he wrote against the complicit activities of the group, observed that kidnapping and politically motivated assassinations in Akwa Ibom State started once the then governor amalgamated all the bad guys to form Akwa Ibom Youth Caucus to work for his government.

At the end of Akpabio’s administration, Akwa Ibom State which was rated the most peaceful in the volatile, restive Niger Delta region, was rated the highest in insecurity of kidnapping, rape, assassination… Not fewer than 500 cases of kidnapping, assassinations, attempted kidnapping, frame up charges against political opponents were reported. Afraid that the Ibibios who are majority ethnic group in Akwa Ibom State may deny Chief Akpabio a second term after falling out with Senator John Udoedehe, a strong Ibibio voice who was his campaign manager and Obong Victor Attah, former Governor of the State, kidnappers started targeting politically exposed persons across the State as a measure to scare away any contest against Chief Akpabio.

At Qua Iboe Church, Iwok, Nsit Atai, Major General Edet Akpan, was kidnapped during a Sunday worship service and to get the operation successful, some worshippers including military personels attached to the retired general now late, were gun down. Elder Paul Inyang, then South South Zonal Chairman of PDP was assassinated at African Church, Mbierebe Akpawat, his Village during a Sunday worship service. It soon became clear that Paul Iyang was assassinated to implicate Senator John Udoedehe who at the time, has shown interest to contest against Chief akpabio. The State Government had issued a Statement that Paul Inyang obstructed Akpanudoedehe at Eket from holding a campaign and that the former Minister of State, FCT masterminded the assassination as a payback on Inyang.

The following morning being Monday, then Inspector General of Police, Mr Onovo rushed down to Uyo and visited the family at Mbierebe Akpawat with Chief Akpabio where further indictments were cooked against Akpanudoedehe. But on investigation, it was shown that Elder Paul Inyang was never at Eket where Akpanudoedehe had gone for a private visit to one of the stakeholders there a day before his (Paul Inyang’s) assassination. Police investigation report later published by Global Concord Newspaper revealed that there was no incidence at Eket during the visit as claimed by the Statement by the State government raising suspicion that government actually plotted and assassinated Elder inyang in a failed bid to get at Akpanudoedehe, key opponent of Chief Akpabio at the time.

Another big victim of the Akpabio’s infamous rule is Group Captain Sam Ewang, former Military Administrator of Rivers and Ogun State who reportedly paid a whooping N400m in ransom to secure the release of his wife, Her Excellency, Mrs Grace Ewang who was kidnapped at her School along Uyo Etinan road in a commandore style operation that shook the entire State. Group Captain Sam Ewang was a governorship aspirant at the time under the defunct All Nigerian Peoples Party, ANPP. Before his wife was kidnapped, he has been asked by unknown emmissaries to step down for Chief Akpabio or risk unpleasant consequences. But Ewang as a military man, maintained his determination to run against Akpabio in the 2011 governorhip poll. His wife almost paid the Supreme price for his ambition.

While Ewang was lucky to get his wife out alive, Engr Ekong Udonwa maintains an everlasting scar for wanting to run as governor against Chief Akpabio in 2011. He escaped assassination with bullets in his buttocks. His assailants, went after his mother, Madam Philomina Udonwa. Mma Udonwa as she was popularly called, was bundled into the boot of a waiting vehicle and for over a month, she could not be released. The kidnappers wanted the son, a ship engineer to surrender himself or his mother be killed. Madam Udonwa was killed by the kidnappers and her body dumped by the roadside unclad.

Despite occasional plea of innocence, Chief Akpabio was openly seen to be abating and encouraging the voilence of his regime. His Commissioners and party leaders were seen, heard and reported of inciting ethnic war against opposition leaders in the State. Bar Emmanuel Enoidem, then Commissioner for Special Duties, Don Etim, the Commissioner for Works and Pastor Sunny Ibuot, then Chapter Chairman of the PDP, Ikot Ekpene, at an Akwa Ibom Democratic Voice event held at Ikot Ekpene, declared that no opposition political party should campaign in any Anang local Government Area nor plant their bill boards there saying any attempt at it will face unpleasant consequences.

While the State thought it was a joke, Group Captain Sam Ewang’s bill board was vandalised at Ikot Ekpene and his supporters attacked. Senator Helen Essuene who contested under Labour Party was attacked at Essien Udim and on 11th March 2011, the first ever political genocide in Akwa Ibom State took place in Ikot Ekpene when Senator John Udoedehe, his Deupty, Dr Ime Umana (now late) an Anang man and Dr Udoma Bob Ekarika, another Anang man who was the Campaign Director of Positive Change 2011, led Action Congress of Nigeria governorship campaign to the town. What saved Akpanudoedehe and key leaders of his team is the bullet proof vehicles that conveyed them to the rally ground.

Well mobilised youths opened fire at the crowd targetting Akpanudoede, an inlaw to Ikot Ekpene and key Anang leaders who led his campaign. Savages at work, you may say! There are trending videos and confessions by men who were in the system saying Chief Akpabio sponsored the attacks. Beyond the video, many critical stakeholders have confided and apologised to Akpanudoedehe that they planed and executed that attack on the instruction of Chief Akpabio. The latest which clears every doubt as to whether governmenthad a hand in the terror that ravaged the State, is the ongoing no-hole-barred exposition by Princess Pat Akpabio, wife of Chief Ibanga Ime Akpabio, step brother to Chief Akpabio who played key role in the government at the time. Dr Pat Akpabio obviously cannot hold the dark secrets of the Akpabio killing regime again and has accordingly revealed so much about the administration. Very many people have started to nurse fear that Godswill Obot Akpabio who has already hijacked the Pastor Umo Eno administration may convert it to another killing regime as the governor faces serious threst of losing a second term in the face of rising opposition in the state.

But Chief Akpabio has been consistent in denying any involvement in the bloodletting that is identical to his government. But Akwa Ibom people cannot forget in a hurry how his Commissioner for Justice and Attorney General, acting on his instruction, entered a nolle prosecui to terminate the trial of a certain “Ekpri Papa” who admitted to crime of kidnapping, arrested in Portharcourt and sent to Akwa Ibom State, the locus of the crime for prosecution. No one was tried, convicted and jailed for kidnapping/assassination despite various arrests and public outcry.

Under Chief Akpabio, Akwa Ibom State was a ghost town that goes to bed with the chicken. Churches were deserted by big men as they were targeted during worships especially on Sundays. Many figures sneaked into the State and left to escape the assassin’s bullet or his kidnap chains.

A big relieve came to Uyo, Akwa Ibom State Capital after UDOM Emmanuel became governor. He disengaged suspected criminals cartels under the Akwa Ibom Youth Caucus, declared war on cultists and insecurity was addressed. Uptill when Udom Emmanuel unveiled his succession plan, a key factor was that those to run for the office of governor under his party, the ruling PDP then, must passed the security test and have no record of being a cultist to ensure that the State does not witness another killing spree after his exit from power. That determination by Udom Emmanuel, gave Pastor Umo Eno an advantage over most of the contenders at the time suspected to have soiled their hands under Chief Akpabio.

But since his alliance with Chief Godswill Akpabio, fear of insecurity has return to the State. A Facebooker while commenting on a post by Solomon Johnny thanking God for not being consumed by the Akpabio regime over his support for ACN as it then was, said he fears whether Pastor Umo Eno will adopt the Akpabio strategy as opposition begins to mount against him.

He said: “It’s very unfortunate that all those rising to attack the write up, none is bold enough to say that what Barr. Solomon Johnny is saying is not true. They’re only saying that he should not insult the SP. Not that what is said is false, or that he is addressing the attrocities of that administration only, and not others.

“Well, this media space is free for all. If you know of any other administration that was or is close to the one under review in genocide, please feel free to bring it before Akwa Ibom people. Whoever shades blood to stay in power is my enemy. Whoever.

“I can not forget a mere political campaign in 2010, at Ikot Ekpene that was turned to war. I can’t forget the people that were missing that day. Only God brought me back to Uyo alive.

“When we come to the social media space and say we don’t respect what we have, you don’t know what you have done to the families that lost their loved ones through the activity or inactivity of that administration.

“Till I go to the grave, I will not forget how I lost two men whom God brought my way when I was at the cross roads of life, killed in their prime during that Warsaw administration. One by kidnapping, the other by hired assassination. You talk about respect because you didn’t loose anybody.

“God will not allow us experience that kind of government again in Akwa Ibom State.

“Gentlemen and ladies that are attacking Solomon Johnny , let me be very frank to Akwa Ibom people. Pastor Umoh Enoh moving to APC to support The Senate President is the right thing to do. He should be supported to retain that position, even though I don’t have anything to gain from it. It’s the right thing to do.

“But as one who had suffered loss of people during that administration, I am afraid of what he will be advised to do if this journey becomes turbulent. The Holy book says, show me your friend and I will tell you who you’re. That’s my fear.”