By Patrick Odey
Fear gripped residents of the Ata-Idung Afaha community in the Eket Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State, following the abduction of one Mrs Uduak Akpan, a businesswoman, by gunmen while attending to her customers.
PUNCH reports that the gunmen had, in 2022, stormed the residence of her husband, Mr Akpan, and carted away cash and personal belongings, including a bus which has yet to be recovered to date.
The latest incident, it was gathered, occurred at James Town Junction around 9 pm on Friday, April 7, 2023.
A community source told our correspondent on Sunday that the hoodlums, numbering about five, gained entrance to Umaco Shopping Centre belonging to her husband and shot several times into the air before whisking her away.
According to the source, the victim who is an indigene of the Nsit-Ubium Local Government Area, but residing in the community, was kidnapped while attending to customers in the shop.
The source said, “Gunmen about five stormed James Town Junction and made straight to Umaco Shopping Centre, where Mrs Akpan, was attending to customers on Friday around 9 pm.
“They shot severally into the air to scare people away before escaping with their victim”
When contacted, the state command’s Police Public Relations Officer, Odiko MacDon, said he has yet to receive any report on the issue and therefore cannot comment on it.
He said, “I have not seen or heard such information, I don’t know if they have reported the matter to the command. I can’t comment because I don’t have such information.”
Source: The Punch
