See How Gunmen Kidnapped A’Ibom Monarch From Palace

The Paramount Ruler of Esit Eket, Edidem Assam, was on Tuesday, kidnapped from his palace at Akpa Utong, Esit Eket Local Government Area, Akwa Ibom State.

The gunmen, said to be about seven in number, stormed the palace around 2am. They allegedly shot into the air several times before dragging Assam out of his bedroom into a waiting car, which they drove in the direction of Unyenge, in Mbo Local Government Area.

At Unyenge, Assam was allegedly picked up by a speed boat, said to be heading into the Oron high seas.

An eyewitness, Mrs. Ime Akpe, told our correspondent that there was no casualty during the operation, except that many people sustained varying degrees of injuries in the confusion that engulfed the palace and its environs.

She said, “The gunmen surrounded the chief’s compound, shooting into the air. I thought it was a war. My daughter and I ran into the bush. She sustained some injuries while running. We saw them drag the chief out of his palace. I thought they came to kill him. But they put him into a waiting car and sped off to the Unyenge area of Mbo. By the time the police came, the gunmen had gone.”

The Police Public Relations Officer, Akwa Ibom State Command, Mr. Etim Dickson, said he would get back to our correspondent once he confirmed the news from the Divisional Police Officer, Esit Eket.

But a police Inspector said he received distress calls from different sources around 2am on Tuesday. The source said before the police could arrive at the scene, the kidnappers had already left with the royal father.

He said, “There were a lot of calls from different quarters informing us of the operation of the kidnappers, but before we could mobilise our men from Uquo to Akpa Utong, they had already fled the scene with the chief.

“But we are going to send our men to comb the community in search of the abducted chief.”
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