By IDONGESIT ASHAMERI

Prince Emmanuel Henry, first son of the village head of Nsie in Okobo Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State, Late Chief Effiong Henry Etimene has linked the gruesome murder of his father to the ongoing LG politics in the area.

Prince Henry who narrated the father’s tortuous murder during a chat with newsmen in Uyo on Wednesday accused the supervisory Councillor for finance in Okobo LGA, Mr Nkereuwem John Edet as mastermind of his father’s death.

Recall that the state Command of the Nigeria Police Force had in a statement by its Public Relations Officer(PPRO), CSP Frederick N-Nudam, made available to newsmen in Uyo yesterday

declared the Supervisory Councilor for Finance in Okobo local government Council, Nkereuwem John Edet and 13 others wanted, “for allegedly teaming up with a youth leader, Usong Morrison John to mastermind the murder of the village head”.

First son of the late village head who narrated the father’s ordeals in the hands of the suspected cultists said Eder had earlier ordered that the late Chief’s phone be siezed.

He said the irate youths, after a confrontation with the police, which led to the death of one of them descended on the village head with an axe, blocks and other dangerous weapons, and later carried the unconscious body into a GP tank, packed some of the village council chairs into it, poured petrol and set the man ablaze.

Establishing a link between the murder of his father and the ongoing Local government politics in the area, Prince Henry said the said Edet ( now at large) had earlier approached his father to negotiate a possibility of returning as a councillor.

“The Nsie group of villages had met and came up with a list, but the supervisory councillor and a few older men who are loyal to him decided to come up with their own list and threatened the village head to work with that or be ready to face the consequences. But the village head insisted that the collective interests of the people must be accomodated.

“Now, after the death of Mr Aniefiok Mkpo Abasi, former youth president of Nsie village, who died on 12th July, 2020 on suspicion of drinking some local gins mixed with herbal concoction in the house of one Sunday Walter Ukoh, the village decided to investigate the cause of his death. Though my father, the village head had suggested an autopsy, but majority suggested a fetish findings, which my father and other had to contribute for.

“Following the incident, some disgruntled youths and elders of Nsie village mobilised by the youth president, one Usong Morrison John and Nkereuwem John the Supervisory Councilor for Finance, Okobo Local Government Area arose from a meeting held at the village square and attacked and Mr Sunday Walter Ukoh, who hosted the deceased and whom they suspected to have killed the man..

“Scared that the father might be killed, Blessing Walter Ukoh a police officer and daughter to the suspected man had to invite the police. When they arrived, the number of cultists mobilized by the supervisory councillor prevented them from having access to the village council hall. The police had to open fire on the cultists, but bullets could not penetrate them. One of the youths was later shot in the head by the police.

“Infuriated by this, the cultists on the instruction of the supervisory councillor, who had earlier ordered that my father’s phone should be siezed, decended on my father the village head with an axe, blocks and other dangerous weapons.

They later brought in a GP tank, carried my father’s unconscious body into it. packed some of the village council chairs into it, poured petrol and thereafter set it ablaze.

When it was done burning, they cut off his head”. He narrated while fighting back tears.

He appealed to the Akwa Ibom State government to please intervene and fish out the culprits and to help the family recover the head of the village head for burial. (Daily Independent)

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