Fear has enveloped the sleepy community of Udianga Enem in Etim Ekpo local government area of Akwa Ibom State, where gunmen kidnapped of the principal of Madonna Community Secondary School (MCSS) in Oruk Anam local government area, Monday Ekoriko.
The development and other related crimes have forced residents of Etim Ekpo and the adjoining Ukanafun council flee their community to safer areas.
The wife of the victim, Menim Ekoriko, told LEADERSHIP yesterday that several armed youths stormed “our family compound at Udianga Enem village at about 7:30pm, overpowered my husband, bundled him into his new Lexus SUV and whisked him away.”
She said, “I was in the toilet located in the nearby bush in the compound when they arrived and took over strategic places in the compound, while others invaded the house, where they fished him out and started beating him when he showed resistance.”
Mrs Enem said the operation lasted for about two hours.
The youth leader of the village, Comrade Udeme John, wondered why a kidnapping operation could last that long without response from the Police check point at the nearby Edem Akai village, few metres away from the scene of the incident.
“I don’t know why such incident should happen and the Police standing guard at the nearby Edem Akai-Etim Ekpo-Iwukem -Abak highway. And, even my people could not run down and inform me so we could rally everyone to block the roads with logs of woods to prevent them from taking the teacher away”, he noted.
The eldest son, Menyene Ekoriko, a student at the Akwa Ibom State Polytechnic (AkwaPoly) at Ikot Osurua, in Ikot Ekpene LGA, said “when I learnt that my father was kidnapped, I rushed down to the village and immediately reported the matter to the divisional police officer (DPO) at Utu Etim Ekpo, who led some of his men to this compound this morning (yesterday).
“They got some information from my mum and myself as well as inspected the scene and gave assurances that the culprits would be apprehended”, he said.
The police police public relations Officer (PPRO) Superintendent of Police (SP), Odiko Macdon, confirmed the incident, saying: “We are aware of the incident, the commissioner of police (CP) Olatoye Durosinmi has condemned the incident and is personally coordinating the Police Anti-Kidnapping Squad, and they have gone after the kidnappers.”
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