No fewer than eight persons have been reportedly injured in a stampede as armed hoodlums on Sunday night kidnapped Senator Nelson Effiong, the immediate past Senator representing Akwa Ibom South at the Senate.
It was gathered that the Oron-born Senator was seized by three armed hoodlums at a popular sit-out residents say belonged to him along Oron Road, Uyo, the state capital late Sunday night.
Eight of the customers, it was learnt, were injured in a resulting stampede as the patrons scampered for safety amid hails of bullets randomly fired by the hoodlums.
“I have just been shot been shot along Oron Road”, Erick Ekwere, one of the victims cried out on social media, urging security agencies to rescue the situation.
“The incident occurred at about 9:00pm on Sunday night. The armed men stormed the sit-out with a Toyota Camry car and started shooting sporadically at random, sending the customers and other guests to scamper for safety before they made straight to the former Senator,” a source said.
Effiong, former Speaker of the state House of Assembly, the source added, was later whisked away by the hoodlums in a Toyota Camry car to unknown destination.
Reasons for his abduction is yet to be known but family sources say his abductors are yet to contact them.
The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Mr. Odiko Macdon, a Police Superintendent (SP) could neither pick calls to his phone or respond to text message, but the Commissioner of Police (CP), Mr. Amiengheme Andrew, assured that “there will be a statement on the matter”.
