By Ogenyi Ogenyi, Uyo
Fear has gripped the once peaceful town of Eket in Akwa Ibom following the kidnapping of a prominent businessman, Samuel Ekerenam, owner of Hephzibah Mall.
Reports indicate that the kidnappers fired sporadically to disperse onlookers. The body of Ekerenam’s driver was later found lifeless in a pool of blood, while his police orderly sustained severe gunshot wounds.
An eyewitness, Udobong Asuquo, a resident of Idua Eket, recounted, “The gunmen arrived at the shopping complex and began shooting indiscriminately to scare people away.”
The incident occurred around 10:00 p.m. on Saturday, resulting in the death of the driver and injuries to the police officer assigned to Ekerenam.
At the time of writing, a family source, speaking on condition of anonymity, stated, “We have not yet confirmed the kidnappers’ motive, whether it is ransom-related or something else, as they have not contacted the family.”
The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), ASP Timfon John, confirmed the incident and assured that “the Commissioner of Police, Joseph Eribo, has a zero-tolerance policy for crime. Tactical operatives have been deployed to locate the kidnapped businessman.”
John further assured that the police are actively working to rescue the victim and bring the perpetrators to justice.
