The residents and victims called on human rights bodies, the media, civil society, and the Federal Government to prevail on top police officers who have continued to abuse their power and office by shielding the village chiefs despite the atrocities.....TAP TO CONTINUE READING

Residents of Ekpri Nsukara Offot and Ikot Anyang Offot communities in the Uyo Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State have petitioned President Bola Tinubu over an alleged conspiracy, land grabbing, intimidation, violence, and attempted assassination by two village heads Mr. Emem Dennis Asikpo and Mr. Enefiok Effiong Isa, as well as rogue police officers.

The residents and victims called on human rights bodies, the media, civil society, and the Federal Government to prevail on top police officers who have continued to abuse their power and office by shielding the village chiefs despite the atrocities.

In a petition submitted by a group called Voice of Liberation Network (VLN) and signed on behalf of the residents, they alleged that a powerful syndicate led by one Mr. Emem Dennis Asikpo and Mr. Enefiok Effiong Isa, both serving village heads, has been forcibly taking over lands belonging to families and legitimate property owners.

According to the petitioners, the syndicate worked in collaboration with police officers from the Eagle Squad, Itam, who allegedly arrest victims, fabricate criminal charges, and remand innocent citizens while their lands are sold to third parties.

The petition outlined a systematic process of land hijacking which includes; identification of valuable land, illegal acquisition and sale to third parties, use of police to arrest rightful owners, fabrication of capital offences and detention of victims to prevent legal resistance.

SaharaReporters gathered that the alleged notorious land grabber Mr. Emem Dennis Asikpo allegedly sold land belonging to the Akwa Ibom Agricultural Development Programme (AKADEP) to a telecommunications company.

The state government later reclaimed the land, proving that even government property was not immune to the alleged land racketeering.

Findings revealed that many police officers are currently on the payroll of Asikpo while some are living in some of his properties as compensation for their illegal operation.

The aggrieved residents called for a forensic audit of Mr. Asikpo’s bank accounts, claiming it would expose financial links to compromised police officers.

According to one of the victim’s account, Mr. Asuquo told SaharaReporters that in February 2024, his mother informed him that Mrs. Happiness Enefiok Isa, wife of the Ikot Anyang village head, warned that her husband had allegedly contracted assassins to kill him and that she should discourage him from attending court.

Findings revealed that Asuquo requested a meeting with Mrs. Isa and secretly recorded her confession, in which she allegedly stated that her husband paid ₦2,000,000 to hire assassins she allegedly received ₦400,000 from that sum.The alleged assassins were Mr. Obot and Mr. Usen, both residents of Ibesikpo Asutan LGA.

She claimed that Village Head Emem Dennis Asikpo was the main sponsor and that both village heads planned to share Mr. Asuquo’s mining site after his death.

She reportedly provided Mr. Asuquo with the phone numbers of the suspected killers.

Mr. Asuquo was attacked on 28th May 2024 when the assassins invaded his home though he narrowly escaped, but his house was burgled and ₦2.8 million, a television, and other valuables were carted away.

He reported the incident to the Police Surveillance Unit in Uyo, before proceeding to the Force Headquarters, Abuja, due to the influence of Village Head Emem Dennis Asikpo in Akwa Ibom State.

A petition was filed, and one SP Fortune Bassey of the Force Intelligence Department was assigned to investigate.

The suspects were tracked and arrested, and reportedly made confessional statements admitting to the assassination plot.

SaharaReporters gathered that while the investigation was ongoing, SP Bassey allegedly received a call from his O.C. (Officer-in-Charge) instructed him to withdraw from the case and return the case file.

The investigation was allegedly abandoned, raising suspicion of possible compromise.

While the suspects were still in police custody, Mr. Asuquo alleged that Village Head Emem Dennis Asikpo sent another attacker, identified as Michael Udo Udo (alias Udoma), to assassinate him. He escaped again and reported the incident to Abuja. Mr. Asikpo was later arrested, while Michael Udo Udo fled.

Following Mr. Asikpo’s arrest, several alleged victims came forward with similar stories of land grabbing, police intimidation, and threats to life.

Among them was Mr. Enefiok Augustine who claimed he narrowly escaped an assassination attempt in 2013, after losing 13 plots of land to Mr. Asikpo. He was later allegedly framed with a capital offence and jailed for one year.

Another victim Mr. Ndueso Stephen Uduk who spoke to SaharaReporters claimed that 39 plots of his land were sold for ₦20 million by Mr. Asikpo using police backing.

Mr. Etim James Obot, who won a 2008 court case (HU/186/2008) against Mr. Asikpo, claimed the land was still sold off using police intimidation.

Meanwhile there are many other victims who have been rendered homeless but could not speak up due to the fear of arrest and attack by Asikpo and Enefiok’s kinsmen.

These incidents reportedly led to the formation of the Voice of Liberation Network, a group created by alleged victims seeking justice.

Victims alleged that police officers from the Eagle Squad, Itam, have been aiding Mr. Asikpo with an allegation that police framed them with capital charges to detain them in prison. Some of the members of the Voice of Liberation Network have reportedly fled their homes for safety as a result of series of attacks from Asikpo

The residents have also called on anti-graft agencies both the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Inspector General of Police, the National Security Adviser and the Akwa Ibom State Governor to prevail on top police officers who have continued to abuse their power and office by shielding the village chiefs despite his atrocities in the community.