...Village Head, residents flee
...as armed gang takeover
BY OFONIME HONESTY
Things are no longer at ease at Mbiabong Ikot Essien village in Uyo Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State as armed gang having hijacked power from the village council are now terrorizing the community causing the village head and residents to flee.
The gang has set up a parallel government headed by a certain Ekong Bassey Udofia.
When this reporter went to the community on a fact finding mission, the community bore a semblance of a ghost town. As this reporter plied the route leading to the village head's residence, a group of guys ordered him to leave quickly and refused to give reasons for such order.
Speaking earlier, one of the few remaining residents, who declined to be mentioned, expressed dismay over the situation, calling on government and security agencies to come to their rescue.
When this reporter sought to know what triggered the situation, the respondent narrated thus: "It was during last electioneering period in the state. Various youth factions started pledging allegiance to various political parties but the situation degenerated when members of a party (name withheld) meted out violence on others.
"They vowed to kill members of other political parties. For instance, when the son of the Eteidung (village head) was pasting posters of Monday Eyo, who was campaigning for the Uyo State Constituency seat, the boy was beaten to pulp. When the village council condemned their actions, they went haywire assaulting people and destroying properties in the community."
Another respondent stated that after the general elections, the gang upped the ante of their activities by resorting to extortion and robbery.
"The village is against their actions but they seem to be law unto themselves. The village head has escaped. His compound has been desecrated. Imagine this boys destroying the village head's signpost.
"After the general elections, they upped the ante of their actions by resorting to robbery and extortion.
"So many people have fled. In fact, the village head has also fled. His palace has been desecrated. Imagine the boys destroying the village head's signpost. They also uprooted the flag pole. They are not afraid of anything. The security agencies have failed us."
In a telephone chat with the village head, Chief Hosea Edem Okon, he said he had to flee for safety.
Hear him: "I had to run o! Those guys have threatened to kill me. They are cultists. Those sponsoring them will not find peace in life. The boys now force the very few remaining residents to pay for what they call electricity bill but when the electricity regulators come with the genuine bills, residents cannot pay because they had squandered their hard earned money on these hoodlums. We have reported to security agencies. We have been waiting for them to be arrested but to no avail."
Speaking with the Public Relations Officer of the Akwa Ibom State Police Command, Cordelia Nwawe, she bellowed thus: "How can a gang hijack power from a village council without the knowledge of the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in that locality. I refute such assumption. The village heads have the phone numbers of the DPOs.
As you said, the Police have been petitioned. We will act if the allegations are true.
"Please, let me repeat that it is impossible for a mere gang to hijack power anywhere in Akwa Ibom. It can't happen here", Nwawe concluded.
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