Ukanafun Local Government Area in Akwa Ibom State has become a flaming dwelling where terror, tears, anguish and songs of sorrow blend to make mincemeat of human existence since peace develop wings late last year. To say the least, life has become short and brutish as hoodlums terminate lives without provocation. The most worrisome part of the relentless attacks is that the gun guys on rampage, according to sources, are searching for political power through the path of death. The Sunday 19th November killing of Mrs. Enobong Monday Isaiah, a sister to the Commissioner for Local Government & Chieftaincy Affairs, a family head, Chief Rufus Tommy Ikpe and a youth, Idara Bassey Idiong; the invasion of the Commissioner’s residence and that of a former Commissioner for Education, Elder Aniekan Akpan at Ikot Oku Usung seem to give credence to the alleged political undertone of the attacks.
The inauguration of fratricidal gorilla campaign in Ukanafun Local Government Area could be said to have commenced with the killing of a family head and a youth leader in one night at Okoyo. On 24th January this year, the village of Ikot Anta Eneng Obom, Chief Emmanuel Jim Umahaeyo was assassinated by yet to be identified gunmen. The immediate past Secretary of the Local Government, Obong Ime Atakpa met his untimely death in his livestock farm. The Vice Principal of Community Secondary School, CSS, Nkek, Mr. Aniekan Brownson Essien was killed at his duty post in the presence of the staff and students. We learnt that the Principal of the school, Ima Ebebe is yet to recover from the rude shock that the killing of her vice has caused her. A private Legal Practitioner, Barr. Mfon Etukudo lost his life to an early morning attackers while Dr. Idongesit Udom, the Proprietor of Sure Foundation Polytechnic was abducted and ‘levied’ N10million before he was freed after chopping off his right arm. Yet another teacher from CSS, Mr. Aniekan Udofia, a newly posted policeman to Ukanafun and a pregnant woman were gunned down at a filling station near Ukanfun Divisional Station. Reliable sources said that the cultists have serve the owner of the petrol station and the teacher who was from Okoyo village death threat letters. It has been revealed that most of the hoodlums operate from their hideouts in Ikpe in Etim Ekpo LGA where they enjoy the cover of a virgin forest and maritime route to Rivers state where militancy has taken roots since the inception of the experimental democracy. The hostilities range from killings, abduction for ransom, death-threat letters and looting. Reports said that the serial killings are configured by chieftaincy and youth leadership tussles which have prepared the ground for parochial interest. The ensuing muscle-flexing is the catalyst of the tug of war that has degenerated into a seemingly insurgency. A ruling on such matters by Courts of competent jurisdiction, according to our source, did not appease the losing party. The paramount ruler of Ukanafun LGA, HRM (Prof.) Victor Umoh is said to have received a-demand-for-money letter if he did not want trouble from the hoodlums. A demand for 30million from Hon. Uko Idiong, the PDP Chairmanship Candidate could not be confirmed as he could not be reached on phone.
Traditional rulers, farmers, serving and retired civil servants, artisans and traders are threatened by trigger-happy youths. We learnt that these trigger-happy youths sometimes wear Nigerian Army camouflage and black colour uniform complete with assault rifles such that only the observer can identify. Reports said that the hoodlums appeared in black uniform as they held Amiamia Owo junction in Ikot Akpa Nkuk residents spellbound for about 30 minutes. A youth leader and a woman escaped the rain of bullets with various degrees of injuries. There is a cause for alarm among Ukanafun people. The raging hostilities have led to influx of internally displaced persons from the flashpoints to other LGAs especially Abak and Uyo where they are happy annoyed singing the Lord’s song in the strange land. Many analysts have espoused that the Ukanafun crisis is a spillover of militant agitation in the Niger Delta Creeks fueled by political patronage. Sometimes they allegedly hire mercenaries and cache of arms with steady supply from the creeks.
It is our position that the hostilities should not be ignored as one of those things. The crisis can provide a strategic nexus for Ukanafun whose cracks of disunity should be cemented in the fight against terror. It should be noted that the countryside is not only a seed bed of poverty but a nursery of rebellion and acute tension often lie concealed behind the apparent resignation of the masses.
Security operatives deserve commendation for the tasking mopping up exercise. The arrest of some indicted students of Western Annang Secondary School (WASCO) Ukanafun and of Community Secondary School, Nkek is a pointer to the fact that the hooliganism is complex, asinine and serpentine. Sadly enough, the 87 volatile villages of Ukanafun have only a police station while Etim Ekpo LGA has Divisional Police stations at Utu Etim Ekpo, Uruk Ata Ikot Eboh, Iwukem and a Police post at Obong Ntak that serve the 77 villages of the LGA. The lesson there is that the security architecture needs expansion and improvement for effect protection to take care of the security. The booming of the guns has paved way for looming hunger and palpable fear in the land with high jump increase in the number of refugees, euphemistically described as internally displaced persons.
The declaration of the deadly and dreaded kingpin, Akaninyene Monday Uko alias (Iso Akpafit) who incidentally is the youth leader of Ikot Ibekwe by the police is a belated but wise decision. In this era of whistle-blowing policy money answereth everything. In other word there should be a mouth-watering bounty to attract members of the public to volunteer information on the kingpin who is said to be launching his murderous campaign from Rivers State; even as he is said to have driven his village head, Chief Udo Ikpe into exile where the king reigns but does not rule.
To rub salt on the injury, the transition chairman of Ukanafun LGA, Mr. Israel Ideh, a lawyer who is also from Ikot Ibekwe like Iso Akpafit is alleged to be romancing with the kingpin and is reported to be extending milk of human kindness to the wanted person who is a cousin and ally to Mr. Udom Ebetor, a repentant militant and APC Chairmanship candidate in the December 2 Local Government election that some opposition parties have vowed to unleash terror.
It is a high time steps are taken by the Government, a community leaders and the entire people of Ukanafun before the infection catches another LGA. Boko Haram grew from strength to strength winning international sponsorship because of official neglect. Kola nut lasts long in the mouth of those who value it and the time is now.
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