Fear has enveloped the sleepy community of Ata-Idung Afaha Eket in Eket local government area of Akwa Ibom State as suspected gunmen, who kidnapped a businesswoman, Mrs Uduak Akpan, are yet to establish contact with her family three days after she was seized at gunpoint in her supermarket.
The victim, who hails from Nsit Ubium LGA, LEADERSHIP gathered yesterday, was abducted by five hoodlums, who stormed her ever-busy supermarket at Jamestown Junction at about 9:00pm Friday night, shot sporadically in the air to scare people before whisking Uduak away in the presence of her helpless husband.
An eyewitness Otobong Isang, said, “The victim was abducted at her husband’s shop, Mr Umana Akpan, while attending to customers at Umaco Shopping Centre.”
He said, “The gunmen numbering about five shot sporadically into the air in order to escape with the victim, while the husband was just watching the gunmen zoomed off to an unknown destination.”
A family source, who would not identify himself in print, recalled that the gunmen had earlier attacked Akpan’s residence in early 2022, and made away with cash and other belongings including a bus used for the business, which had not been recovered before the sad incident Friday night.
“The criminals just came to spoil the Easter spirit for the family. The supermarket has been shut because the family and other relatives are still in shock since the kidnappers are yet to contact the family since Friday night. The incident has been reported at the Divisional Police station at Ikot Udota, but we are not getting information on her whereabouts,” he stressed.
But the police public relations officer SP Odiko MacDon, said the state command headquarters has yet to receive the report from the Ikot Udota Divisional Police Station in Eket, assuring that no stone would be left unturned in securing the release of the woman alive and unharmed with the perpetrators brought to justice.
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