Popular Akwa Ibom State businessman and social media commentator, Iboro Otu, has petitioned the offices of the Inspector General of Police, the Director General of the Department of State Security (SSS) and the National Security Adviser (NSA) over alleged attempts to kidnap and assassinate him by the Personal Assistant to Governor Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom State on Youth Mobilisation, Hon. Emmanuel Ekpenyong-Bassey, and four others. Ekpenyong-Bassey is also the Youth Leader of the Peoples Democratic Party.

Filed by Garland Chambers and signed by Paul Omoluabi, the petition, dated September 13, 2013, was titled “Attempted Kidnapping, Attempted Murder and Threat to Life by the Personal Assistant to the Governor of Akwa Ibom State on Youth Mobilization/The PDP Youth Leader, Akwa Ibom State – Emmanuel Bassey Ekpenyong and Four Others”.

According to Garland Chambers in the petition: “On 3rd September, 2013, our Client was in Uyo for the burial of the father of a family friend of his (name withheld) at Ogu Itu Mbonuso, in Ini Local Government Area.

“Thereafter, our Client commenced his return to Uyo, but unknown to him, some young men had taken down his car details and had been trailing him with the criminal intention of kidnapping him so as to eventually kill him. As our client approached a turn 10 minutes away from Itak Junction in Uyo Local Government Area and bent down toward his passenger’s seat to pick up his mobile phone which had fallen from the dashboard onto the seat, an unmarked car with four men brandishing firearms, double-crossed him and commanded him to alight from the vehicle or he will be shot dead on the spot.”

The petition further alleged that one of the alleged assailants shattered the rear window of Otu’s Range Rover Evogue SUV with the butt of his gun in an attempt to gain access to the door lock from the inside. It said it was at that moment that it reportedly dawned on Otu that he was in the midst of a kidnap and assassination attempt from his assailants.

“Our Client was able to escape from the scene by screeching his car around through the bush and speeding off even at the risk of being shot at, but was chased by these assailants. Upon the pursuit, our Client drove to an Army unit at Itak Junction and immediately reported the incident and further informed the military officers that the assailants were on their way towards the Army unit. Few minutes after this report, the assailants arrived with one Mr. Emmanuel Bassey Ekpenyong better known as Iraq at the Army unit and they were apprehended immediately and unexpectedly. Our client immediately identified one of the assailants,” Otu’s attorneys said in the petition.

They revealed that following the arrests of the five assailants, one of them identified himself as Emmanuel Bassey Ekpenyong, the Akwa Ibom State Governor’s Personal Assistant, and referred to his fellow assailants as “his boys”, pleading earnestly for their release – a plea the officers were said to have turned down. Ekpenyong then reportedly entreated Otu for forgiveness, stating that he (Otu) had been mistaken for somebody else while offering to pay for the repair of the damaged vehicle. At that point, Otu was said to have left the issue to be resolved at the discretion of the police.

The solicitors further claimed in the petition: “Investigations and rumours have it that the said Mr. Emmanuel Bassey Ekpenyong, a.k.a. Iraq, had persistently and consistently been involved in similar kidnappings and murder operations in the past but has always had his way.”

Having stated this, Otu proceeded to appeal to “your most esteemed office to urgently deploy the resources at your disposal in investigating, ordering the arrest of all persons directly and remotely involved in the kidnap and murder attempt of our Client who is presently unsafe and worries about his security and unknown vehicles are always trailing him in and out of Uyo.”

Otu, who hails from a renowned political family in the Akwa Ibom State, pointed accusing fingers at the Akwa Ibom Government. His words: “As it looks, it seems a kidnapping cum killing militia is set up by the Government of Akwa Ibom State to silence all forms of real or perceived opposition in whatever form or manner.

“It could be that coming from a well-known political family and being very vocal and engaging about leadership and entrepreneurial issues relating to the people of Akwa Ibom State in particular, it seems the right ears are getting the wrong messages and thus, the desire to silence me seems to be of importance.”

While affirming that all hands were on deck to bring the perpetrators to book. Otu expressed his strong desire to “get these individuals arrested and questioned to know their true motive and have justice served.”

•Photo shows Police IG, M.D. Abubakar.

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