Men of the Nigeria Police Force are said to be investigating attempts by some unknown gunmen to attack Ukana Ikot Ntuen, Essien Udim Local Government Area countryhome of Senator Godswill Akpabio, representing Akwa Ibom North West Senatorial District.
Mr. Anietie Ekong, a Special Assistant to Senator Akpabio Wednesday (this morning) in a text message responding to Straightnews’s enquiry on the veracity of the incident wrote ‘’Yea, the shooting had stopped. Everybody is safe. The police is investigating the matter.’’
But in his response, DSP Odiko MacDon, Akwa Ibom Police Public Relation Officer confirmed that there was attempted robbery incident at a filling station near the house of Senator Akpabio in Ukana Ikot Ntuen last night, though no suspect has been arrested.
Earlier, Ekong had in his Facebook page posted Tuesday night ‘’On-going: sporadic shooting by unknown gunmen at Ukana Ikot Ntuen, Essien Udim Local Government, country home of former Senate Minority Leader, Senator Godswill Akpabio. The Divisional Police Officer, Essien Udim and the Commissioner of Police Akwa Ibom State should please urgently intervene.’’
Premium Times had published that security men repeled attempt by unknown gunmen to invade Senator Akpabio’s home.
The paper further reported that eye witness account said the Senator was holding political meetings on Tuesday night at his country home when unknown gunmen numbering about 10 stormed his residence and shot sporadically causing stampede.
According to our source, the incident brought the meeting into a temporary halt as those present in the meeting scampered for safety while the shooting continued unabated.
A retired Deputy Inspector General of Police, Mr Udom Ekpoudom who was also present at the political meeting at the time of the incident was seen making frantic calls for security beef up to help repel the attack.
However, security men attached to the residence after recovering from the initial shock were said to have responded gallantly with superior fire power which forced a retreat from the invading attackers.
According to Mr. Raymond Inim who witnessed the incident, “we were holding a meeting with our leader, Senator Akpabio when suddenly people who were not part of the meeting ran into the Senator’s banquet hall where the meeting was held.
“The Senator inquired to know the cause of the commotion and before someone could explain, sounds of sporadic gun shots rented the air. It lasted for a while before the situation was brought under control and we had to end the meeting abruptly,” he said.
It was not immediately clear what the motives of the attackers were but eye witnesses said the gestapo manner the gunmen struck and disappeared called for security beef up around the former Senate Minority Leader who recently defected from the Peoples Democratic Party to the ruling All Progressives Congress.
This incident may not have been connected to Senator Godswill Akpabio’s purported allusion to the scene of the 2019 elections during the weekend at the funeral Mass of his grandmother-in-law, late Madam Mercy Uduoku Neife Igwenagu, at Christ the king Parish Aguobu-Owa, Ezeagu LGA of Enugu State.
It was alleged that Akpabio said “But in my own (defection), I just decided to do it in an uncommon way because they call me uncommon transformer. It was watched in 59 countries and somebody asked what happened there, and I said just how it happened in Poland. When they asked (Adolf) Hitler’s Minister for Information how was the war in Poland?
He said; ‘Warsaw saw war and war saw Warsaw.’ I will say that in the Ikot-Ekpene arena, when I stepped out, this is my first function after that, Warsaw saw war and war saw Warsaw. We can’t talk politics in the church but in 2019 Warsaw shall see war and war shall see Warsaw…”
Perhaps, Governor Udom Emmanuel’s reaction may not have been consequential to the Akpabio’s purported speech in Enugu.
At a grand endorsement rally Monday by the people of Eket Senatorial district held at the Onna Township Stadium, Governor Emmanuel was quoted by socme social media and newspapers to have warned Godswill Akpabio, his predecessor not to dare him or he would commit his personal resources (money) to hire CNN, BBC, others to expose Akpabio.
