Three sons of Chief Essien Akpabio and Mrs. Atim Akpabio,
siblings of a prominent Nigerian movies producer and gospel musician,
Evangelist Helen Ukpabio, of Mente Village, Nkari Clan, were allegedly killed
on March 25 last year by a security team consisting of the State
Security Service (SSS) agents on the same day, Ini Local Government Area
of Akwa Ibom state.
The family had also lost a
daughter a few days later who died from shock after learning about what
happened to her brothers. While the family were yet to comprehend the
reason why fate should treat them that way, they never envisaged that
the another misfortune will befall them soon again.
Barely eight months after losing the three sons and a daughter, who
was said to have collapsed and died upon receiving the news of her
brothers' death, the Akpabio’s clan has also lost Mrs. Atim Akpabio to
the cold hands of death, allegedly from a heart attack that came a
result of the unfortunate incident that befell her.
Men
of the State Security Service (SSS) allegedly killed Atim Akpabio’s
three sons, Joseph, Charles and Emmanuel Akpabio on Sunday March 25,
2012 in the presence of their mother.
The late Akpabio, also the
mother to the Nollywood producer-turned evangelist, Helen Ukpabio,
family members said never recovered from the shock caused by the
incident. The aged mother died a very unhappy woman in November last
year while waiting with pains to get justice for her children.
"They
were wrongly accused of a crime they didn’t commit. The police took
laws into their hands and killed them before they even had a chance to
defend themselves.
"We are already pressing charges, and my only
surviving brother, Henry, a businessman abroad, is the one representing
the family’s position. They were killed right in front of our mother,
even as she was protesting on their behalf, after they had already been
shot in the legs to cripple them. That was exactly on the 25th of March,
2012," Helen Ukpabio said in a recent interview.
Ukpabio, who is
also the founder of Liberty Foundation Gospel Ministries in Calabar, was
trying to put the deaths of her sibling behind her when her mother also
gave up the ghost in November last year.
Relating what must have
led to the killing of the three brothers, the attorney to Chief Essein
Akpabio (the father of the three slain brothers), Mr. Victor Ukutt
revealed that the brothers were killed over a N500 million payment as
compensation to their family, which owns over 80% of a parcel of land on
which a Dam is being constructed in the Nkari community.
"Our
findings indicate that Chief Essien Akpabio, father of the three slain
brothers, owns 80% of the total land mass where a Dam is being
constructed in Nkari clan and the Federal Ministry of Water Resources
had approved about N500,000 as payment of compensation to the owners of
the land where the Dam is being constructed," Ukutt said.
He
alleged that the State Security Service Agent, led by one Mr. Noel Nduka
were hired by some persons to eliminate the family of Chief Essien
Akpabio in order for them to take possession of the compensation in
respect of the land on which the Dam is being built.
"At the
moment, the SSS and killer armed men are still hunting for Chief Essien
Akpabio and the daughter, Helen Ukpabio for elimination in order for
them not to have any challenge in the sharing of the Dam compensation."
He said further that the Akpabio family has been frustrated by the authorities in bringing the felons to justice.
"First,
the police in Uyo had initially refused to grant audience to Evangelist
Ukpabio (elder sister to the slain brothers) in respect of the matter.
It took an a uphill task before she was allowed to see the Commissioner
of Police, Akwa Ibom State," said the lawyer who appealed that the state
government should order the arrest and prosecution of the felons, which it
has failed to do all this while.
Ukutt lamented that it was
consequent upon the frustrating moves by the Police, SSS and the
government to bring these felons to justice, that the matriarch of
Akpabio family, Mrs. Atim Akpabio lost faith in the Nigerian system and
consequently had an heart attack that led to her death in November last
year.
On behalf of the Akpabio’s family, he implored the President
of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to direct the Inspector General of
Police to beef up security around Evangelist Helen Ukpabio, her aged
father, Chief Essien Akpabio and the remaining members of the family "as
the killer squad would do everything possible to conceal any evidence
or eye witness in respect of the dastard murder."
Home »
» Three Sons Slain, Daughter Dies Of Shock, Mother Follows: One Household's Tragedy
0 Comments:
Post a Comment