Emmanuel Ufon
The family of the abducted citizen of Ndot Ikpe village in Ini Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State, Mr Clement Edet Umoh is demanding the whereabouts of their son who was allegedly abducted by policemen.
Umoh, 38 years old, holds HND, and was working at Benmoh Polytechnic when he was abducted by the police.
A petition written by family Lawyer, Ime Attang of GoldCrest Law Firm, alleged that Umoh was abducted by policemen from the Akwa Ibom State Police Command Headquarters, Ikot Akpan Abia, Uyo on Monday, June 28, 2021, in the afternoon from his duty post at Mbiaobong Ikot Udofia.
The lawyer decried the gestapo tactics employed by the police to whisk his client away after he and the villagers demanded their identity cards with a view to ascertaining their status.
According to the petition, “the policemen, who were about six in number arrived at the gate of the private polytechnic in a Toyota Sienna SUV and with what appeared to be AK-47 rifles.
“They wore black T-Shirts with the inscription ‘Police’ and claimed to be policemen from the State Police Headquarters, Ikot Akpan Abia, Uyo. The policemen only brought out their identity cards to confirm their true identities to the discerning villages.
The petition, which copy was also made available to the Inspector General of Police, IGP; Police Service Commission, Assistant Inspector General of Police, AIG, Zone 6 Command Calabar; National Human Rights Commission, Uyo and the Chairman, House Committee on Human Rights, National Assembly, further alleged despite their denial on Clement Umoh whereabouts that the police team from the state command went for an arrest at Ini on 28 June, 2021 which they had also stopped over at the Area Command Ikot Ekpene to book before proceeding to Ini LGA.
The process pictures the hostility and unprofessional attitude of police officers in Akwa Ibom State which is not in tandem with the global best policing practices on account of Brother Mr Benjamin Edet Umoh in the petition while searching for the abducted brother.
“The officers at the control room later made a general announcement on the system radio about the alleged abduction and disappearance of Mr Clement Umoh and advice Mr Benjamin Umoh to also visit the Anti-Kidnaping Unit at the same Police Headquarters.
“For further enquiries. Mr Benjamin Edet Umoh promptly proceeded to the Anti-Kidnaping Unit at the State Police Headquarters. The policemen at the reception exchanged suspicious glances with each other when Benjamin mentioned the name of his brother.
“The policemen then foot-dragged on the issue until Mr Benjamin ran out of patience and requested to see the O/C Anti-Kidnapping but they forcefully prevented him, chased him away from the station, and threatened to arrest and detain him if he ever comes back there to ask for his brother.
“Stories of citizens being abducted and/or arrested by policemen from Akwa Ibom State Police Headquarters and the ‘IG’s Squad’ and subsequently disappearing without a trace in Uyo and the entire Akwa Ibom State is replete with such things.
“These abducted persons are often suspected to have been extra-judicially executed by trigger-happy, gun-touted policemen who more-often-than-not, get away with such cold-blooded murder and shameless abuse of their official powers and human rights of fellow citizens,” he said.
The Police Public Relations Officer in Akwa Ibom State, Mr Odiko Mac-Don, when contacted for clarification on the issue, said he has no idea about the matter.