Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Godswill Akpabio and his
wife, Mrs Ekaete Akpabio, have threatened to sue an investigative journalist,
David Hundeyin, for linking them with the killers of an Akwa Ibom job seeker,
Iniobong Umoren.
Recall that Umoren
went missing while attending a job interview in Akwa Ibom last month. Police
Public Relations Officer in the state, Odiko Macdon, later in a statement, said
the police arrested 20-year-old Uduak Frank Akpan, who allegedly lured Umoren
to his residence under the pretext of offering her a job but raped, killed and
buried the young graduate in a shallow grave.
The murder of the young job seeker angered the Nigerian Twitterati
with many calling for justice and that the perpetrators of the heinous act be
brought to book.
Umoren
Hundeyin subsequently published a report via newswirengr titled, ‘Murder in Uyo: Who Killed Hiny Umoren?’
In the report, the journalist claimed he analysed the
telephone calls of the prime suspect in the murder case, Akpan. According to
the report, Akpan called a number of people after the murder of the female
undergraduate. Hundeyin alleged that one of the people the prime suspect spoke
with was one Kufre Effiong, a worker in the Niger Delta Civil Service. The
reporter also alleged that Effiong and Akpan “met physically at a certain 58G,
Ewet Housing Estate in Uyo”.
The reporter further alleged that Akpan worked for an
“illegal organ trafficking ring to feed the booming global black market organ
trade”.
He later tweeted via @DavidHundeyin alleging, “It has just
come to my attention that Davok Suites, the hotel at the centre of the 58 Unit
G/S.9, Unit G, Ewet Housing Estate nexus involving Kufre Effiong and Frank
Uduak Akpan is owned by none other than Ekaette Akpabio, wife of Godswill
Akpabio.
“In other words, this place where Frank Uduak Akpan, fresh
from murdering Ini Umoren came to meet Kufre Effiong, belongs to the wife of
Kufre’s boss and Federal Minister of Niger Delta Affairs Godswill Akpabio. So
which politician has Kufre been ‘running errands’ for?”
However, reacting in a letter dated May 12, 2021, Akpabio, a
former governor of Akwa Ibom State, and his wife stressed that the building
does not belong to them.
The couple stated this in the letter served Hundeyin through
their lawyer, Otobong Inyang of Star Attorneys.
The letter was titled, ‘Publication Of False And Defamatory
Statements Against His Excellency, Sen. (Dr.) Godswill Obot Akpabio And Her
Excellency, Mrs Ekaete Unoma Akpabio: Demand For Immediate Retraction And An
Apology’.
It partly read, “We hasten to make a point that assuming
(though without conceding) that Kufre Effiong is a staff of the Ministry of
Niger Delta Affairs and/or one of its contractors, Senator Akpabio does not
know, has never met and has never had any contact whatsoever with him. Neither
Sen Godswill Akpabio nor his wife, Mrs Ekaette Akpabio had anything whatsoever
to do with the horrific death of Iniobong Umoren.
“Secondly, neither Davok Suites (which is a corpate entity)
nor the land housing it belongs to Mrs Ekaete Akpabio.
“Indeed, a proper search at the Corporate Affairs Commission
would have disclosed to you that Mrs Ekaete Akpabio is neither one of the
Directors nor Shareholders of Davok Suites.”
Akpabio and his wife, therefore, demanded an immediate
retraction of the publication and an unreserved public apology, adding that
failure to act within two weeks of receipt of the letter would attract a
lawsuit.
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