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| One of his victims |
The embattled clan head, who was arraigned before the Magistrate Court, Uyo, on 7th August, 2023, is said to have masterminded the killing of a Primary School Teacher, Mr Essien Johnson and his 10 year old child, Ediomi, maiming of other members of his household and other residents of the clan as well as razing down of several houses.
According to a petition dated 11th August, 2023, addressed to Akwa Ibom State Governor, Pastor Umo Eno; Akwa Ibom State Police Command, Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly; and other relevant authorities, wife of the deceased teacher, Mrs Bassey Essien Johnson, through her Counsel, S. S. Ebong Esq. of C. I. Odo and Co. Chambers, narrated that the "very callous, tyrannical and villain clan head" had instructed his gang of cultists codenamed 'Uyio Idung' to beat up her husband for harvesting palm fruits on his (deceased) plot of land.
The deceased was the headmaster of Presbyterian Church of Nigeria (PCN) Primary School, Esit Ikpanya, Ibiono Ibom LGA.
Our reporter gathered that the clan head, runs the 7 villages which make up Ikpanya without any village head and a clan council, and has for several years seized control of oil palm trees which he harvests and converts the proceeds for personal use.
Corroborating our reporter's findings, the petition narrated that the clan head, on the 21st day of July 2023, as a further retaliation to the previous incident (harvesting of palm fruit) sometime in June 2023, the Clan Head not satisfied with the way his boys manhandled Johnson Essien and his family previously, boasting that Johnson Essien dared him and without prompting, he sent his boys again to Essien Johnson, who was shot dead by his gang, one of his sons, Ediomi, subsequently died of bullet wounds, inflicted serious machete cut and bullet wounds on the rest of his children and one of whose wrist was cut off and set his two houses in Esit Ikpanya ablaze and three other houses including the house of one Sunday Joseph Ema known and called Prophet who also sustained a very serious machete cut.
"Our brief also shows that clan head Isaac Ononsin which has been very crazy about owning economic trees including palm trees at all cost, sometime in 2021 on the same issue of palm fruits, instigated interstate boundary dispute between Ikpanya Clan and Ugbo people in Arochukwu which claimed many lives and properties in Ikpanya, thereafter the government of Akwa Ibom State brought relief materials which the clan head hijacked instead of giving out the relief materials to the affected persons up till date," the petition further reads.
The petition indicates that the clan head was in the village on the fateful 21st July, 2023, which Mr Johnson was killed.
The family alleged that the clan head had bragged severally that he has the backing of the Paramount Ruler of Ibiono Ibom Local Government Area, His Royal Majesty Edidem Ime Udousoro Inyang; the Akwa Ibom State Traditional Rulers Council, and the security apprariti of the state.
Meanwhile, Elder Fintan Asuquo Eno, a resident of the community, who lost his motorcycle to the assailants during the attack, has accused the police of shying away from arresting all the accomplices of the embattled clan head.
"The homicide department of the Akwa Ibom State Police Command has failed to live up to expectations. Apart from the detention of the clan head, other suspects including the notorious 'Uyio Idung' members who are still at large must be brought to book," he demanded.
The duo of the President General, Akwa Ibom State Traditional Rulers Council, Ntenyin Solomon Etuk and the Paramount Ruler of Ibiono Ibom Local Government Area, HRM Ime Udousoro Inyang, did not respond to phone calls and text messages seeking his reaction to his alleged backing of the embattled clan head.
(c) Newspaper
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