By AKANIMO SAMPSON Wed, Jan 25, 2023
Men and officers of the Nigeria Police, Akwa Ibom State Command, do not appear to be well equipped to handle trauma cases.
This is so because hours after our Monday story with the caption, "Heighten Security Activities In Akwa Ibom As Disappearances Of Persons Surge", more facts are still tumbling into the open.
Disturbingly, the Spokesman for the Police in the state, Odiko MacDon, a Superintendent of Police (SP) is not helping matters.
However, the latest wave of bizarre disappearance of persons in Akwa Ibom blew into the open following the ordeal of the daughter of the General Manager of Inspiration FM, Samuel Enoh Akpan, last Thursday in Uyo, the state capital.
Akpan's 18-year-old university undergraduate, Naomi, was sent on an errand by her mother to go dispatch some goods at the popular Itam Park. Till midnight of that tragic Thursday, nothing was heard from her as her cellphone "cannot be reached."
Before this development, a caller on a radio programme claimed that a Home Economics student of the University of Uyo (UniUyo) has been "missing" for over a week with no one knowing her whereabouts.
Several other scared families within and outside the state have been groaning over the mysterious disappearance of their loved ones.
Sadly, the Police in Itam Division where the incident of the radio big chief's daughter took place failed to rise to the situation and showed that the police is a true friend of the sceptical citizens..
When the traumatised father of the missing daughter arrived at the Itam Police Station on Friday to report about his missing varsity undergraduate, a senior police officer at the counter was more interested in extorting money from him than mobilising the station for a rescue operation.
This is even in spite of the fact that Akpan is a top player of the Police Community Relations Committee (PCRC) who has been promoting the activities of the state Command.
With what happened at the Itam Divisional Police, worried public interest analysts are still insisting that some bad eggs within the Nigeria Police in Akwa Ibom are complicit in the largely unknown abductions sweeping across the state.
Apparently unsettled with our report on what happened at the Itam Police Division, MacDon is taking it out on the radio chief for not blocking The Southern Examiner from publishing the story.
The police chief says Akpan's comment on the incident is rather unfortunate.
In a seeming silly public relations while firing at Akpan, the police image maker said, "your comment about the Police at Itam being interested in extorting you rather than help find your daughter and your lack of faith in the Police assurance to bring perpetrators to book in public space is rather unfortunate, especially considering the fact that you have been a stakeholder in the Police image rebranding project."
Before the miraculous escape of Akpan's daughter, the traumatised father called MacDon more than once and he informed the restless father of the command's commitment.
The Southern Examiner's undercover crime reporter however reports that the police image maker and the radio house boss have been locked in a silent cold war since we published the story.
Allegedly blasting Akpan MacDon told him, "your taking to the media and denigrating the Police is not right at all."
Responding, insiders said the radio GM told the Akwa Ibom Police Chief, "my PPRO, my experience was to say the least humiliating. At my level, I should be helping you to do your job better and succeed but not to pretend that all is well when actually it's not.
"Above all I will be happy if you succeed in your job by telling you the truth so that you can help the Force by flushing out all the bad eggs giving the Police bad names locally Sir."
Some of the Inspiration FM, Uyo Station staff who did not want their names in print said their boss went through a severe trauma as a father.
Staffers of the premium brand radio station who spoke to The Southern Examiner said the police chief even insinuated to their GM that her missing daughter may have gone out to enjoy herself and may not have been abducted.
The police chief's insinuation fell flat when the missing young lady finally reappeared. She was physically injured when she emerged from a jungle on Friday.
At the hospital where he took her daughter to for thorough treatment in Uyo, Akpan was overheard telling the nurses who were congratulating him for his daughter's lucky escape that the way they brought up their children is far above board and that its highly unusual for them to go the other way except when coerced beyond what they can bear.
"I thank God that she has been restored after spending some extra money on different medications that were not budgeted for," Akpan says.
However, the use of black leather shields in tricycles – which usually comes in very handy particularly during rainy seasons – has since been banned in Akwa Ibom.
Operators of tricycles, better known as Keke, were ordered not less than two years ago to turn on their inner lights from 7 pm so as to make it easier for security operatives to identify occupants.
This came about as the state witnessed a growing spate of robberies, car snatching, criminal activities including cult-related clashes.
According to the police, the leather shields are being used by unscrupulous elements to cover victims of robbery, kidnapping, ‘one chance’, and other crimes.
In the meantime, in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, another young lady allegedly disappeared after being hypnotised by some men only to find herself in a ritualist den in Anambra State.
An unusual confusion among the kidnappers that led to a serious fight among them created a safe passage for her return.
A local reporter in Port Harcourt reports that the abductors drove her by themselves, all the way from Anambra to Assumpta junction in Owerri and threw her out of their car.
"Fortunately, she was spotted by a good Nigerian, who saw her wandering up and down, in a very confused state. The good woman now asked some questions leading to getting her parents'number and eventual return to Port Harcourt," says the reporter.
credit: southernexaminer.com
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