Gunmen Storm Akpabio’s Country Home – Aide

Some gunmen reportedly stormed the country home of a senator, Godswill Akpabio, on Tuesday, around 7.30 p.m., in Akwa Ibom state, where he was holding a political meeting.

Mr Akpabio’s media aide, Anietie Ekong, took to Facebook on Tuesday night to raise an alarm.

Mr Ekong wrote on the social media site, “On-going: sporadic shooting by unknown gunmen at Ukana Ikot Ntuen, Essien Udim Local Government, the country home of former Senate Minority Leader, Senator Godswill Akpabio.

“The Divisional Police Officer, Essien Udim and the Commissioner of Police Akwa Ibom State should please urgently intervene.”

PREMIUM TIMES could not immediately reach the police on the incident. The police are also yet to confirm the incident.

Some persons living close to Mr Akpabio’s house in Ukana Ikot Ntuen, Essien Udim, said they observed several police trucks parked in front of the senator’s house in the morning, around 6.30 a.m.

The senator is safe, his media aide, Mr Ekong, told this newspaper, Wednesday morning.

Mr Ekong, who said he was present during the incident, explained what happened.

“The senator was at home holding a political meeting with some APC groups. A retired deputy inspector-general police, Udom Ekpoudom, was in that meeting. Bishop Samuel Akpan was also there. I was there as an observer. We were in the banquet hall.

“Suddenly, people who were not part of the meeting rushed into the banquet hall, so the senator enquired from them what was going on. Before anybody could explain, we heard gunshots, sporadic shooting, outside.

“The chief detail to the senator put out a radio message to all the policemen and other security men in the compound that they should be alert, that there is an attack.”

Mr Ekong said Mr Akpabio and his guests were holed up in the banquet hall, while the senator’s security repelled the attack, thereby preventing the gunmen from having access to the compound.

The shooting lasted for about 15 minutes, Mr Ekong said.

Mr Akpabio, a former governor of Akwa Ibom State, defected on August 8 from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to All Progressives Congress (APC).
Political tension has heightened in the state since his defection.

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