GOVERNOR AKPABIO ORDERS INVESTIGATION INTO KILLING OF OFFICIAL

Akwa Ibom Governor, Chief Godswill O. Akpabio has ordered immediate investigation into the brutal killing of a government official at Uyo Main Market by some persons suspected to be traders in order to bring the perpetrators of the heinous crime to book.

The State Government had on Thursday last week announced the immediate and indefinite closure of the market following the brutal murder of a staff of Task Force on Enforcement of Environmental Laws by some unidentified traders.

Chief Akpabio, who made this known during an unscheduled inspection visit to the market, condemned the killing of Akwa Ibom citizen in broad daylight without any justifiable reason by the irate traders.  

Accompanied by the Deputy Governor, Engr. Patrick Ekpotu; Secretary to the State government, Mr. Umana Okon Umana, Commissioner for Environment, Mr. Census Ekpu, the Chairman of Uyo Local Government Area, Dr. Chris Nyong, the Governor was shown how the victim attempted to escape into a storey building, where he was overpowered by his assailants and given several machete cuts on the body and head before he slumped and died, lamenting that his innocent blood was crying for revenge.

He commended the security operatives for effective security of lives and property of people particularly goods and items abandoned by some traders during the mayhem in the market and its environs.

Chief Akpabio expressed disgust at the situation were some criminals form a gang to extort dues from some unsuspecting traders, allot some portions in the market to their clique who sell contraband goods and drugs, among others, adding that to re-open the market, such social anomalies should be stopped and sanity restored to  ensure welfare and comfort among other traders.

The State Chief Executive, however, dismissed as false allegation that the government intends to relocate Uyo main market, hinting that the government has no intention to relocate the market but to embark on holistic restructuring of the market to suit the taste of Uyo as an emerging cosmopolitan capital.

The governor who inspected Etuk, Nyong Essien and Udoma streets of the market said government was yet to take a decision on re-opening of the market, appealing to innocent traders who are suffering as a result of the closure to bear with the government and be ready to make sacrifices in an effort by the government to give the m a face-lift

Engr. Ekpotu told the governor that the man who was killed ran into a storey building near the market but was chased out and hacked to death by some unknown persons.

Chief Okokon Etuk, a one-time member of the defunct Cross River State House of Assembly and a community leader pleaded with the governor to re-open the market in the interest of innocent traders.

Prince Victor Utuk, a community leader in Uyo suggested that for street trading along Etuk, Udoma and Nyong Essien Streets to stop, government has to pull down the shanties and rebuild the market to ward off the activities of some persons suspected to be criminals hiding under the cloak of traders.