Akwa Ibom Police Command has expressed order to go after the killers of a popular businessman, Pastor Sylvanus Ukpong, and abductors of his farm manager.
The State Commissioner of Police, CP Waheed Ayilara, who gave the order, mandated tactical operatives of the Command to immediately fish out hoodlums responsible for the murder.
Straightnews gathered that a business woman from Rivers State called and negotiated to buy layers from the deceased poultry farm along Airport Road in Ifa group of villages, Uyo Local Government Area on Saturday evening.
A member of the deceased family told the online newspapers that ‘‘He picked his farm manager and left his Ewet Housing Estate, Uyo, and stopped over at a filling station in Ifai Atai.’’
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According to him based on eye witness account ‘‘After buying Premium Motor Spirit, he stopped by the roadside and called to know the whereabouts of the business woman only for one of the suspected kidnappers to have walked to his car and ordered him out to enter their waiting kombi bus.
‘‘He resisted being kidnapped by the hoodlums and this ensued in a scuffle only for one of the suspected kidnappers to have pumped bullets into his body and head and sped off, leaving the businessman in a pool of his blood.’’
The Agribusiness and construction entrepreneur was gruesomely murdered and left on the roadside only for the family to have evacuated his remains to a mortuary while the farm manager with him as at the time of the incident was whisked away to the kidnappers’ hideout.
A family source told Straightnews that the suspected kidnappers after committing the heinous crime have been using the farm manager’s telephone to call the deceased family to negotiate ransom for her release.
Confirming the incident to Leadership, the state outgoing Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Odiko MacDon, said the CP, who had since commiserated with the family, has given operatives a marching order to fish out the perpetrators with a view to bringing them to justice.
Describing Akwa Ibom as one of the most peaceful states in the country, the CP Ayilara assured residents of their personal safety and properties in the state.
The Chief Superintendent of Police noted that the latest incident was an isolated case to put the state that has consistently won laurels as the cleanest and peaceful in the bad ligh
“The Commissioner of Police is very miffed about the ugly incidents and it’s just an isolated case to dent the image of Akwa Ibom State as one of the most peaceful states in the country.
“He has ordered discreet investigations to be carried out by the Police working with other sister security agencies, and has given assurance that in no distant future, those who committed such dastardly act will be fished out and punished according to the law,” the PPRO said.
The Police Command then warned elements planning any criminal activity to vacate the state or be prepared to face the firepower of the Force.
“By this, we are sounding a note of warning to any criminal element still nursing any sort of crime to be ready for any Police action or quit the State otherwise, firepower of security agencies will be unleashed on them for the State and the people to remain peaceful for tourists, investors and visitors,” MacDon stated.
