From Lateef Taiwo
Grief has enveloped the distraught family of the 37 – years -Old Youths’ Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District (Akwa Ibom North-West), who was severely brutalized and his mangled body abducted by APC thugs over allegation that he was planning to divert the Christmas and New Year gifts of cash and rice donated to the youths’ wing of the party on January 19.
The family of the Youths’Leader, who also doubles as one of the Special Assistants, SAs, to the Senate President, Chief Godswill Akpabio, has petitioned the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, demanding justice, following severe attack unleashed on him by hoodlums alleged to be sponsored by some of the party leaders, who accused him of diverting Christmas/New Year gifts meant for the youth wing of the party in the zone.
Our Correspondent gathered that the Senate President’s Aide, who hails from Nto Okon village in Ukanafun Local Government Area, came under a spontaneous mob action soon after the disbursement of the largesse including millions of bags of rice and cash for onward distribution across the 10 LGAs of the Senatorial District.
The APC Publicity Secretary, Barr. OtoAbasi Udo, who confirmed the incident, said he was “mercilessly beaten,” but could not ascertain the whereabouts of himself or his remains in the last nine days after the sad incident.
According to the parents, he was brutally attacked and his lifeless body dragged into the car and taken to unknown destination since January 19, 2024. “I demand to see my son dead or alive so I can burry him,” his shed father, Obong Ime Udooworen, a retired Police chief and former Chairman of Ukanafun LGA, lamented.
Addressing a press conference on behalf of the family, Surv. Akanimo Udom, said every efforts to to get redress on the matter have been futile, forcing the parents to petition the IGP through the state Police Command headquarters led by the outgoing Commissioner of Police (CP), Olatoye Durosinmi, who has recently been elevated to the Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG), Zone 6, Calabar, Cross River state.
He said: “From information available to us, the attack was targeted at stopping him (Ubokobong), from publicly reporting the matter to the Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio, at the APC gathering in Ikot Ekpene.
“By successfully carrying the devilish act, the misguided youths had succeeded in stopping the Senate President from having a feedback on how goodies meant for the people of the Senatorial District were distributed.
“Ubokobong Ime Udoworen, is a hater of injustice and corruption. He dislikes unfairness and inequity with passion. On that fateful day, he had protested through his Facebook page that “the items and money meant for the Youths’ Directorate of Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District were diverted to the cartel men who also called themselves the political leaders of their various LGAs.”
“He specifically mentioned Mr Emmanuel Amama, the Special Assistant to the Senate President on Youths Matters, and that he made the diversion of the “gift items and money meant for the youth Directorate to his cartel men who have been the problem of APC in Akwa Ibom State.”
“It was not a coincidence of any kind that the said Emmanuel Amama, and other leaders of the APC, were at the very spot that Ubokobong was attacked.
It is worrisome that a youth leader of a political party that controls the Federal Government of Nigeria was attacked in public, yet the leadership of the party from national to ward level have never bothered to make a comment.
“It is worrisome that at a gathering attended by party stalwarts, including the Senate President and other top political office holders at the national level, was where one of their fellow party faithful and a staunch loyalist of Senator Godswill Akpabio, was attacked like a criminal for daring to make open those infract acting the party’s good deeds.
“It is even more worrying that seven days after the sad incident, as I am speaking with you now, our beloved Ubokobong Ime Udoworen, has not been found. Gentlemen of the Press, please we urge you to use your respective medium to tell the world that Ubokobong Ime Udoworen belongs to a family and a community of humans.
“Since the three levels of government in Nigeria have failed in their primary function of providing security to a Nigerian compatriot, we cannot, and we will never disown our beloved Ubokobong Ime Udoworen, whether alive or dead.
“As a matter of emphasis, we demand that the organizer of the event and all the security organisations, including the Nigeria Police Force, should produce Ubokobong Ime Udoworen within 24 hours.
“On this note, we want President Bola Tinubu to take the lead. Governor Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom State and the Chairman of Ikot Ekpene LGA, who also have a constitutional duty to queue behind the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in releasing Ubokobong Ime Udoworen to us. All that we are asking for is, give us our beloved Ubokobong Ime Udoworen, dead or alive.”
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