The first accused person on the ongoing  murder case of Miss Iniobong  Umoren, Uduak-Abasi Akpan yesterday denied writing the confessional statement presented as evidence against him in court. 

Uduak-Abasi Akpan told the Court that he did not see and also did not know the content of the statement, adding that he only signed the statement involuntarily., claiming  he was just meeting ASP Kanu Ekpezu for the first time.

The suspect’s denial followed a testimony by a Police Officer attached to the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department SCIID, Homicide section, ASP, Kanu Ekpezu,  before Akwa Ibom State High Court sitting in Uyo in the ongoing trial of Uduak-Abasi Akpan, his father, Mr. Frank Akpan and sister Anwan-Bassey Akpan

Ekpezu who appeared in Court as the 9th Prosecution Witness (PW9) told the Court that the Anti-kidnapping unit, Ikot Akpan Abia Uyo handed over Uduak-Abasi Akpan, his father Mr. Frank Akpan , first and second accused persons respectively to the SCIID, and both made their statements voluntarily by themselves.

He also told the Court that the Anti-kidnapping Unit also handed over to him, the following exhibits, a spade, a QLink stabilizer, and a piece of dirty clothe which were recovered from the scene of murder.

The witness who further testified that Uduak-Abasi Akpan, made his statement in the Senior Police Officers (SPOs) office, and not in an interrogation room, recalled that three other Snr. Police Officers including Inspector Ofonime Archibong were in the SPOs office when he (Uduak-Akpan) was writing his statement by himself.

“My Lord, the first accused person,(Uduak-Abasi Akpan) was handled over to me from the Anti-kidnapping unit Ikot Akpan Abia, on 2nd day of May 2021. I received him in the SPOs (Snr. Police Officers) office. The first accused person made his statement by himself in the SPOs office voluntarily, and not in an interrogation room. 

“I gave him my table and Chair to sit and write his statement. I gave the first accused person a statement form and pen and asked him to write what happened and how late Iniubong Ephraim Umoren died in his house. I was not with a cane, nor with a machet, a gun a stick, or an Axe”, Ekpezu testified.

The Prosecution Counsel, Mr. Friday Itim tendered the  Spade , QLink Stabilizer and piece of Cloth, which were admitted in evidence and marked as exhibits 9, 10, and 11, respectively by the trial Judge, Justice Nkanang.

But, when the prosecution sought to also tender the confessional statement of Uduak-Abasi Akpan, his Lawyer Mr. Samson Adula raised an objection, arguing that his client did not sign the statement voluntarily.

Upon the insistence of Adula, that the  statement allegedly written and read by his client should not be admitted in evidence by the Court until its voluntariness was determined, Justice Nkanang ordered that mini trial to be conducted.

During cross examination, PW9, told the Court that  it is not true that the confeesional statement made by the first accused person were responses from the questions the police officers had asked him.

He further testified that the second accused person, Mr. Frank Akpan was not there in the SPOs office when the first accused person made his statement.

Asked if the accused was video recorded while he was writing his statement, PW9 simply responded, “No my Lord”
 “When they brought that sheet of paper which I did not see, or know what was inside, they now asked me to sign the statement. In order to avoid further violence on myself I signed it”.

Asked if he was blind folded when he signed the statement, Uduak-Abasi Akpan responded, “I was not blind folded”
The trial Judge, Justice Bassey Nkanang adjourned the case till February 8, 2022 for ruling on the mini trial, and for continuation of hearing.

Recall that Uduak Akpan had confessed to the crime when  he claimed to have used reversed psychology on his victim, when he was paraded by the police to newsmen. He had also pleaded guilty during his first appearance in court.

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) ha raised the alarm over plots by some people to scuttle the forthcoming Area Council elections in the Federal Capital Territory.

This is coming days to the February 12th Area Council’s elections in the nation’s capital.

The Director of Publicity, PDP Chairmanship candidate campaign for Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) Hon. Emmanuel Inyang, while briefing newsmen in Abuja alleged that intelligence report has revealed that the rulling All Progressive Congress (APC) was working to scuttle the success of the polls.

He, however,called on the Police and other relevant agencies of government to nip the brewing trouble on the bud, to avoid any violence that could disrupt the arrangement already made by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), he alleged that certain governors of the ruling party had been drafted into the sinister plot.

Inyang hinted that there are plans to import thugs from neighboring states of Niger, Nasarawa and Kogi, for the purpose of disrupting the February 12, polls.

He also stated that the relevant security agencies and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) must act fast so as to gain the trust of residents and genuine electorates in the forthcoming election.

He raises concern that should various relevant security agencies fail to stop the plot, residents and electorates may be scared away, thereby, recording a very low turnout on the day of elections.

Inyang alleged that plot to scuttle the success of the polls, follows the intra-party crises rocking the party which had put them at a disadvantage position.

He however, said that the FCT elections will serve as a litmus test for the off season elections and the 2023 general election, to be conducted by INEC.

According to him, “We are happy that FCT residents are really eager to vote.

“We are aware from security report reaching us that there are group of people planning to recruit thugs to ensure that on the day of election, after voting, people come in to disrupt the process.

“We want to plead with the security agencies to ensure that security is maintained on, before and after the elections.

“We don’t want anything that will bring the level of insecurity faced in other parts of the country to manifest in the Federal Capital Territory. We are happy with the security agencies haven’t kept the peace of this land and we want the peace to continue.

“President Muhammadu Buhari needs a legacy to take home. The legacy is to ensure that there is credibility in our elections. They should ensure that FCT election is free, fair and violence free, because we are aware that some persons have already planned that there will be violence on the day of election. We are appealing to Nigerians not to be intimidated by anybody. They should come out en mass and vote for the preferred candidate.”

Meanwhile, a Member of the House of Representatives AMAC/ Bwari constituencies, Hon. Jiba Micah said that no act of violence would be tolerated during and after the election.

Micah urged all stakeholders to comply with all the regulations already set by INEC to ensure that the elections were conducted according to international standard, upholding the tenets of democracy.

Federal Government has assured on completion of the clean up of Ogoni land while adding that the Muhammadu Buhari administration is setting up strong institution to ensure that the the exercise would be duly completed even after the expiration of the administration.

Minister of State for Environment, Chief Sharon Ikeazor in her Ministerial Press Briefing in Abuja said a total of 5,345,766 cubic meters over an area about 314 acres.

The Minister, who briefed the press in company the Mohammed Yaya, the Nigeria’s Representative, United Nations Development Programme, (UNDP), Mu’azu Samboh the Minister of State for Works and Housing, and heads of agencies in the Ministry, noted that in 2019, contracts for 21 lots were awarded for remediation covering 12 of the 65 listed sites in the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) report.

“These lots covered an area of 276 acres. To date 18 of these lots have been completed and certified by National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA). Three of the lots are currently undergoing certification process and one lot is still undergoing remediation” she said.

So, she stated, an additional 29 lots were awarded for remediation of eight sites in February 2020. The area covered is 289 acres. Six of these sites, according to her, have been completed and certified by NOSDRA while two outstanding sites at Bdere and Ogale are above 60 per cent completion.

According to Ikeazor, acting on the report of UNEP in 2011, the Federal Government flagged off the Ogoniland cleanup in 2016.

Her words: “The cleanup of Ogoniland was flagged off by President Muhammadu Buhari in June 2016. The Governing Council and Board of Trustees of Hydro Pollution and Remediation Project (HYPREP) (for the management of Environmental Restoration Fund for Ogoniland) were inaugurated in August 2016 and the project coordinator’s office was established in 2017.

“The ministry is accelerating the remediation project, expanding on the livelihood programme of the hydrocarbon impacted communities. Preliminary remediation activities had commenced in early 2018, and work is at various stages of the remediation processes, with successes despite delays encountered.

“The project implementation status is between 2019 and 2021 and covers three -core areas, which are contaminated soil remediation, sustainable livelihood programme and portable water supply” she said.

On government’s support for Ogoni communities, Ikeazor said that the government has provided alternative livelihood development for Ogoni youths, women and able- bodied men as well as the physically challenge.

“Both artisanal refiners and other youths are entitled to be given the opportunity to develop and expand their existing skills or acquire new skill sets to build their capacity and empowerment.

“In 2020, a set of 400 women commenced training in agribusiness at Songhai Farms in the areas of aquaculture, poultry, cropping and food processing. The plan is to train a total of 1,200 women in agribusiness” she assured.