Gunmen Kill Two Soldiers, Kidnap Expatriate At Project Site in Akwa Ibom

Daredevil gunmen killed two soldiers and abducted an expatriate at a road construction site in Ukanafun council area of Akwa Ibom State.

The incident was said to have occurred on Wednesday afternoon as the expatriate engineer working with Al Madal Construction Company was inspecting the construction of Ikot Ibritam, Inen Ekeffe and Odoro Ikot to Ukanafun road project awarded by Akwa Ibom State Government.

An eyewitness, Mr. Friday Idiok, told newsmen that the two soldiers were killed while escorting the expatriate on routine inspection of the road project along Idim Okpok mini bridge in Inen Ekeffe, the boundary village between Oruk Anam and Ukanafun Local Government Area of the state.

Idiok said the gunmen whisked the expatriate engineer away immediately the two soldiers were shot dead, while residents ran away for fear of arrest by security operatives.

“There were cascades of gunshots here and before you knew what was happening, two soldiers were dead.

“The gunmen also escaped with the soldiers’ guns and took the expatriate away.

“Everybody here is in panic; we do not know what the government will do in this matter,” the eyewitness said.

Speaking on the incident, the clan head of Inen, Obong Johnson Obosi, said the community was holdingthe burial of one of their sons, late Mr. Udoimo, when they heard gunshots and the residents ran away.

“The next report was that two soldiers attached to an expatriate working on the road construction project that links my community with Ukanafun have been killed and the expatriate abducted,” he said.

Obong Obosi, who could not establish the nationality of the kidnapped expatriate, said soldiers from Ibagwa barracks arrived in their ambulance and took away the dead soldiers.

Confirming the incident on Thursday, the Police Public Relations Officer in Akwa Ibom, SP Odiko Macdon, said the Command was aware of the incident and was working with other security agencies in the state to arrest those involved.

“We have received information about the unfortunate dastardly incident at the road project in Ikot Ibritam, Inen Ekeffe leading to Ukanafun.

“We are working with our sister agencies to identity, arrest and prosecute those involved,” he said.

Macdon appealed to residents of the community to remain calm and go about their normal duties, promising that security operatives would apprehends the culprits and bring them to book.

Culled from: Punch Newspaper