THE Akwa Ibom State Police Command has arrested five persons
for the abduction and murder of one Rosemary Jacob and two others.
The state Commissioner of Police, Mr. Donald Awunah, said on
Sunday that though the offence was committed on July 29, 2010, it took a
painstaking intelligence to arrest the perpetrators of the offence on March 15,
2017.
The five suspected murderers are Friday Obonoh, Edidiong
Boniface (aka Tunde); Anietie Donatus (akaTea Boy); Ubong Obonoh and Godwin
Etim.
It was learnt that Obonoh was a former councillor in Oruk
Anam Local Government Area and also a former personal assistant to the Peoples
Democratic Party secretary, Mr. Ibanga Akpabio.
Awunah said the police received a report that one Rosemary
Jacob was on 29 July, 2010 abducted alongside two other men on Abak Road, Uyo by
a gang of seven men over an alleged failed land transaction.
He stated that the abducted persons were taken to a house
within Ewet Housing Estate being the residence of Friday Obonoh, where they
were tortured to death and their remains and vehicle disposed of.
“Painstaking intelligence led investigation to the arrest of
the mastermind and perpetrators of this heinous crime on the 15th day of March,
2017 and they have all confessed to the various roles they played in the
commission of the dastardly crime.
“The arrests illustrate that cases of this nature are not
allowed to go cold in the Nigeria Police Force under the watch of the current
Inspector General of Police, Mr. Ibrahim Idris.
“It is a strong message that no matter how long it takes, if
you commit a crime, be assured that the long arms of the law will eventually
catch up with you wherever you may be and whatever your status in life,” he
said.
Meanwhile, the family of the village head of Ikot Ese in
Oruk Anam LGA has petitioned the CP over the whereabouts of their husband and
father, Chief Aniekan Obonoh.
The 50-year-old-man is said to have been taken away by his
nephew, one Friday Obonoh, a former councillor in Oruk Anam Local Government
Area and one-time aide to the former PDP secretary in the state.
A daughter to the village head, Emem Obonoh, in a petition
to the CP titled, ‘Arrest of one Hon Friday Obonoh – An appeal to release my
father, Chief Aniekan Obonoh,’ pleaded with the CP to ask “Friday Obonoh, who
we learnt is in your custody to release our husband, father, uncle, cousin and
brother, Chief Aniekan Obonoh, aged 50 years.”
The petition reads, “Chief Aniekan Obonoh is Hon. Friday
Obonoh’s uncle. He had a slight malaria
attack sometimes in 2013 and we were happy when Friday Obonoh, his nephew, came
to the village and offered to take him to the hospital for treatment.
“One of the children wanted to follow him, but he, Friday,
objected with the argument that he (our father) was in safe hands. But sir,
since then till today, we have not heard anything about our husband and father.
“Our mother (75 years) has been having sleepless nights
resulting in several medical complications that have eaten deep into the
family’s lean finances. On many
occasions, when we ask Hon. Friday Obonoh of the health condition and or
whereabouts of our husband and father, he will always tell us that he is fine.”
0 Comments