Attempts by unknown gunmen to attack the Ukana, Essien Udim Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom residence of Senator Godswill Akpabio (APC, Akwa Ibom North West) have been repelled by gallant policemen attached to the former Senate Minority Leader.
Eyewitness said the Senator was holding political meetings on Tuesday night at his country home when unknown gunmen numbering about 10 stormed his residence and shot sporadically causing stampede, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports
According to our source, the incident brought the meeting into a temporary halt as those present in the meeting scampered for safety while the shooting continued unabated.
A retired Deputy Inspector General of Police, Mr Udom Ekpoudom, who was also present at the political meeting at the time of the incident was seen making frantic calls for security beef up to help repel the attack.
However security men attached to the resident after recovering from the initial shock were said to have responded gallantly with superior fire power which forced a retreat from the invading attackers.
According to Mr Raymond Inim who witnessed the incident, “we were holding a meeting with our leader, Senator Akpabio when suddenly people who were not part of the meeting ran into the Senator’s banquet hall where the meeting was held.
“The Senator inquired to know the cause of the commotion and before someone could explain, sounds of sporadic gun shots rented the air. It lasted for a while before the situation was brought under control and we had to end the meeting abruptly,” he said.
It was not immediately clear what the motives of the attackers were but eye witnesses said the gestapo manner the gunmen struck and disappeared called for security beef up around the former Senate Minority Leader who recently defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Media aide to Senator Akpabio, Mr Anietie Ekong, who confirmed the incident, told our correspondent who visited the area that the matter has been reported to security agencies in the state.
Ekong, who said he was present during the incident, explained that, “The senator was at home holding 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.”
Ekong said 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, Ekong said.
Akpabio, a former governor of Akwa Ibom State, defected on August 8 from the PDP to the APC.
The DPO and the Area Commander in charge of Ikot Ekpene said that the hoodlums were armed robbers who invaded a nearby Petrol station close to the Senators house and robbed people before taken to their heels on sighting security men.
Meanwhile, the Akwa Ibom state chairman of APC Hon. Ini Okopido has condemned the unprovoked attack on Akpabio’s residence in Ukana, Essien Udim LGA, by unknown gunmen, while normal consultations with party leaders and stakeholders was ongoing in the private residence.
A statement issued by the APC State chairman Ini Okopido warned that the APC family will not tolerate such unwarranted attack on any of her members/leaders.
‘’We were reliably informed that the hoodlums while shooting sporadically around the environment, robbed passersby and a nearby petrol station.
Even though the incidence was promptly reported to the state Commissioner of police by Ekpoudom who witnessed the attack and the CP responded by sending police reinforcement to the scene, such action by unguided miscreants is unacceptable and condemnable politicians should play by the rules to forestall reprisal attacks’’ he added.
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