Reports from the field in the court ordered re- run election for the AKwa Ibom North West Senatorial District taking place only in Essien Udim Local Government Area today has it that the Minister of NIger Delta Affairs, Godswil Akpabio has again unleashed violence in the area.
Aided by his cousin, Superintendent of Police Idorenyin Akpabio, armed thugs wielding guns and other dangerous weapons stormed Unit 5, Ward 11, and carted away voting materials and abducted the INEC officials at the unit.
“ it was a terrifying experience “ said an eyewitness who said he ran fast into the bush for his dear life.”
They shot indiscriminately into the air and seized all the materials. The INEC officials were manhandled and abducted. As I speak, I don’t know where they are. It is very sad why Akpabio will do this to his people and the innocent INEC officials who are only here to do their job”
Senator Akpabio and the two other APC candidates had said they were not contesting in the re-run but the latest development shows it was a tactic to unleash mayhem on the people.
Meanwhile, suspected APC thugs aided by armed uniform men, abduct INEC officials, including NYSC members at Ward 11, units 1 to 4. The Inec officials had their phones seized while the materials were taken to unknown destinations. Same scenario is recorded at Ward 5 unit 5 with the INEC personnel beaten up and taken away with election materials.
There has been no elections in most units of the Ukana West ward with the unprecedented violence unleashed by Akpabio’s boys.
At the Independence High School, still in Ukana West, while some of the thugs who beat up a photo journalist were apprehended by a patrol team of mobile police officers attracted to the site by distress calls, the SARS police team in the Center came out fuming and rescued the suspects and chased the mobile police team away.
