Rita Odafe
Village Leader and 12 Others Detained for Alleged Murder
Okon Asuquo Etteokpo, the head of Utit Antai village located in the Unyene community of Mbo Local Government in Akwa Ibom State, has been taken into custody, along with 12 accomplices, for their suspected involvement in the kidnapping and gruesome murder of three marine hunters.
The Akwa Ibom State Police Command has verified the arrests.
The victims, who were associated with the Ministry of International Security and Inland Waterways, were found buried on August 29, 2024.
The alleged criminals are said to have kidnapped the hunters, decapitated them, and hidden their remains in a concealed grave within a forest. The village head is believed to have been both an accomplice and a spiritual supporter of the crime.
During a press conference in Uyo on Monday, September 30, 2024, State Police Commissioner, CP Joseph Eribo, presented the arrested individuals alongside other alleged criminals.
According to CP Eribo, the suspects were apprehended after police intelligence indicated that the hunters had been slain and buried in a forest grave situated between the villages of Efiat and Unyenge in Mbo LGA.
After apprehending the suspects, law enforcement officials initiated an extensive search for the hunters’ remains, ultimately discovering them in shallow graves, with their heads severed.
“On Thursday, August 29, 2024, based on information received on August 18, indicating that the marine hunters had been abducted and murdered, our operatives started pursuing a group of sea pirates and kidnappers led by one known only as Success, who have been a menace on Oron waterways and nearby areas,” Eribo explained.
“The data suggested they had taken refuge in a forest area between Efiat and Unyenge villages, prompting our team to thoroughly search the region, leading to the arrest of the suspects,” he added.
Authorities recovered a total of 15 live cartridges from the suspects, which included individuals such as Jephter Inwang, Clement Emmanuel, Promise Nkerobia, Anthony Atte, Nkereuwem Edet, and Joseph Asuquo. Other detainees are Anietie Tom, Gad Inwang, Emmanuel Otoyo, Daniel Ekpo, Mary Edet Isong, and Godswill Jackson, along with the village leader, Okon Asuquo Etteokpo, implicated in the investigation.
Eribo urged the police force to maintain the peace in the state, emphasizing that the command would recognize and reward officers for their exemplary service while also taking disciplinary action against those who misstep.
