- What He Said Before His Death
- How Politicians Funded Him
- How His Primary School Teacher Named Him- Iso Akpafid
He reigned and terrorized the people of Ukanafun Local Government Area and natives in the neighbouring local government areas in Akwa Ibom State. He forced scores of natives to relocate to other parts of the local government areas.
But on Monday, January 15, a day set aside to remember Nigeria’s fallen heroes, Akaninyene Jumbo Ukoh, popularly known as Iso Akpafid, a native of Ikot Ibekwe village, a school drop-out and an orphan was killed, thus ending many months-old criminal activities by his cult gang.
TNN learnt from one of the security operatives that killed him that Iso Akpafid had his bath in the girl friend’s house. He rubbed powder all over his body, unknown to him that security operatives had surrounded the house located at a border village between Rivers and Abia States.
Before the D-day, the security operatives had caught juju priest who used to prepare concoctions for him to operate without being caught. The priest hinted the men how he could be caught and killed.
It was learnt that the herbalist told the operatives that the gun that could bring him down must be AK-47 and that whoever wanted to kill him must hang the gun and be ready for action. According to him, second person must hold the gun facing the sky.
That action, according to the juju priest who had since been killed, would prevent him from escaping. The priest added that for him to be killed, a spoke must be inserted into his manhood before he is shot in the ear.
It was gathered that as soon as Iso Akpafid noticed that the combined team of soldiers and SARS operatives had surrounded his hideout, he jumped naked as he was from the window. As he tried to escape, the battle-ready operatives apprehended him.
His last words before he was killed.
After he was caught, the source said that efforts were made to extract confessions from him proved futile as the terrorist was said to have refused to talk. All he said was that “this is the business; sometimes it works, sometimes it fails. That is that.”
After Iso Akpafid refused to make further comments, TNN learnt that the decision to kill him without further delay was taken to avoid any eventuality, including the possibility of his politician sponsors taking steps to free him.
How he got funding for his operations
TNN learnt from top security sources that the young cult leader lacked nothing as prominent politicians from the state patronized and funded his activities. Apart from providing him with funding, the politicians were said to have also shielded him from arrest.
Besides the funds he got from politicians, a good number of who hail from the same local government area, Iso Akpafid was also believed to go into illegal bunkering, at the Marine Base axis of Port Harcourt.
As someone who knew him put it, “you cannot enter Marine base to buy or sell diesel without settling Iso Akpafid and his boys.”
How he lavished money on villagers last December
Iso Akpafid was said to have lavished money through gifts to villagers last December. He was said to have bought and donated bags of rice to the women and also gave them cash, telling them to enjoy government money.
Apart from the Christmas gifts, Iso Akpafid, known by many to be very generous, was also said to have funded the repair works of borehole in his village. Those who rejected his gifts and frowned on the source of his money were listed as enemies.
His teacher named him Iso Akpafid
Findings from his village at Ikot Ibekwe indicated that the name Iso Akpafid was actually given to him by his primary school teacher. TNN learnt that the teacher gave him the nick name on a certain day he was asked a question in the class and he did not know the answer.
To mock him, the teacher was said to have made an assertion, “che iso akpafid,” meaning “look at your ugly face.”
From that day, his mates started calling him Iso Akpafid, which means ugly face, a description that truly fit his looks when he was alive.
A close person in his village confided in our reporter that it was a taboo for him to kill anybody from his village- Ikot Ibekwe. He was said to have been initiated into a secret cult in the village which forbids an initiate from doing harm or killing anybody from there as the villagers as seen as kinsmen. Knowing or doing harm any indigene of the village is seen as an anathema to the village initiates.
(TNN)
