Akwa Ibom: Fresh violence looms in Mkpat Enin as Village Head raises alarm, petitions CP Azare
By Our Correspondent
Fresh violence may be looming in Ikot Abia Enin village in Mkpat Enin Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State as the village head, Eteidung Sylvester Akpanitiat raises the alarm
over threats to his life and family members by a cult gang in the community.
Eteidung Akpanitiat who spoke through his Attorney, Precious Deborah, and Associates, a Legal Firm in Uyo, in a letter addressed to the Akwa Ibom State Police Commissioner, Mr Baba Mohammed Azare dated February 14, 2025 and signed by Barrister Obot Ekanem titled, “Complaint of Attempted Murder, Malicious Damage, Vandalisation and Threat to Lives Against Aniefiok Asuquo Thompson and Others”, appealed for the CP’s intervention.
He said on May 18, 2022 one Aniefiok Asuquo Thompson and his gang broke into his residence at 11 pm in the village, after pulling down the entrance door.
The incident, according to him, was reported to the Divisional Police Headquarters at Mkpat Enin, as the suspects, realizing that they had been reported to the police, became enraged and promised to kill him.
“When they struck on May 18, 2022, I quickly hid myself and was watching them clearly from my corner.
“My wife, who had also hid herself under the bed overheard their conversations.
She knows them and is also familiar with their voices, as some of the assailants lived behind his compound, while others happened to come from the village.
“My wife heard Aniefiok Asuquo Thompson asking another of his gang members, if the operation was successful.
“Having been frustrated, for not seeing me as their target and after ransacking the house, they opened fire and spread live bullets everywhere in the house thereby destroying properties, doors, windows and riddled my vehicle in the car porch with bullets.
“The suspects after their criminal attack, vandalised my properties but did not take anything from the house implying that, they came to kill me”, he said.
He also disclosed that, one Aniefiok Robinson Adiakpa had before the incident, vandalised a transformer in the village and similarly seized a motorcycle on the way, belonging to the community health center and sold.
In a related development, Eteidung Akpanitiat further mentioned that Gideon George Udoaka, Ubong Gabriel Uwem, Friday Festus Mbat, and Emmanuel Johnson Udoetuk a.k.a Idongesit had on December 31, 2024 forcefully stolen 4 bags of rice meant for the village at the council headquarters in Mkpat Enin, when it was uploaded to be taken to the village for sharing to the villagers.
He said, the rice was the state government palliatives Governor Umo Eno gave to communities across the state; including Ikot Abia Enin.
He narrated further test after the incident at Mkpat Enin, the assailants regrouped on January 27, 2025 at the residence of former youth president, Aniefiok Robinson Adiakpa, for a meeting, allegedly planning how to either kill him, his wife or kidnap any of his children to serve as a lesson to him.
Eteidung Akpanitiat said it was consequent upon this that his Attorney petitioned the CP and DPO at Ikot Akpan Abia and Mkpat Enin LGA respectively, alerting them to swing into action to prevent any breakdown of peace, law and order in Ikot Abia Enin village, by carrying out discreet investigation to bring those culpable to book.
