Tony AnichebeJudge, court, task force officials escape gunshots

Police in Akwa Ibom State said they had commenced investigation into an alleged attack on Sanitation Court in Uyo by heavily-armed policemen led by the officer in charge of the Anti- Robbery Unit, SP Idorenyin Akpabio.

The state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), DSP Bala Elkaner, who disclosed this to journalists, said the Commissioner of Police, Zubairu Umar, was aware of the incident. Akpabio, a relative of the immediate past governor of the state, now Senate Minority Leader, Godswill Akpabio, is said to have led two patrol vehicles filled with policemen to attack and disrupt proceedings at the Sanitation Court which was in session at Nkemba Street, Uyo, last weekend.

It was learnt that a girl, said to be Akpabio’s daughter, was one of the 23 sanitation defaulters apprehended by sanitation task force officials attached to the state Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources during last Saturday’s monthly sanitation exercise and subsequently arraigned before the Sanitation Court.

The girl, who was taken to the Sanitation Court along with other defaulters, had reportedly insulted the court officials, threatening that her father was a senior police officer in the state.

She reportedly made good her threats when she put a telephone call across to her father, who initially stormed the court with six armed policemen who cocked their rifles and threatened to open fire at the task force and court officials.

Angered by the court and task force officials’ refusal to release his daughter, it was learnt that Akpabio called for more reinforcement, prompting the arrival two patrol vehicles filled with policemen on the court premises. According to those present at the scene, the over 20 policemen stormed the court and shot into the air thereby causing panic, forcing everyone to run helterskelter while they whisked the girl away. Elkaner said that Umar was unhappy with the behaviour of the O/C, Anti-Robbery.

He said: “The state police command is aware of the unfortunate incident. The commissioner has ordered an investigation into the incident and disciplinary action would be taken against the O/C if found guilty.”

Newtelegraphonline