The people of Ukanafun local government area in Akwa Ibom State are still living in constant fear following renewed killings and regular kidnappings by suspected hoodlums in the area.
The latest victim is Namkere James Ben Umoh, 65, an indigene of Ikot Akpa Idem in Ukanafun who was mowed down by a three-member gang Friday night in the village.
Before his death, Umoh was a staunch supporter of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the area and a senior brother to Kufre Umoh, a one-time Transition Chairman of Ukanafun local government area.
Straightnews gathered from the family that the slain Umoh also a business man in the area had visited a kiosk in the village to buy few items.
“As he was heading to his house few metres from the provision store, the gang waylaid him and wanted to extort money from him,” the source said.
A close family member told Straightnews that “The deceased told them that he had no money on him and he should be allowed to to go home.
In the ensuing argument, the gang members who were infuriated by the argument pulled out their machetes and dealt cuts on him and the man died on the spot.”
Meanwhile, the corpse has been deposited in a mortuary in Ikot Udo Obobo, Ukanafun.
Another report from the area said the hoodlums visited and attacked Aniefiok Mfioko, a one-time vice chairman of Ukanafun and he bolted out from the back door.
In anger, the hoodlums removed from his house two motor cycles and a generator and set them ablaze.
In a telephone interview with Straightnews, DSP Odiko Macddon Ogbeche, Akwa Ibom Police Public Relations Officer said he was not aware of the dastardly incident.
However, Ukanafun indigenes who had thought the killing of Akaninyene Uko also known as Iso Akpafid, a suspected kidnap kingpin from Ukanafun by security operatives would curtail bizarre killings and kidnappings and engender peace and development in the area are now despondent of the situation.
