#ReleaseOduduUkpanah Campaign gathers momentum, becomes political issue against PDP in A’ Ibom

Mr. Odudu Ukpanah ... His continuous detention may hurt PDP in Akwa Ibom State

By Nse Peter

These are indeed troubling times for Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Akwa Ibom State. Torn apart by its controversial governorship primary, PDP in Akwa Ibom State has just been hit by a restraining court order which makes it illegal for the former Secretary to the Akwa Ibom State Government and Governor Godswill Akpabio’s protégé, Mr. Udom Emmanuel to parade himself as PDP governorship candidate in the State.

And for the past five days the youths of the State have taken to Facebook and Twitter, calling on Governor Akpabio to immediately release Mr. Odudu Ukpanah who has been detained in the prison custody for about seven months now, after the state surprisingly arrested him in connection with his father’s assassination.

Engr. Albert Ukpanah, a chieftain of PDP from Ukanafun Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State, was shot death in his home at Abak on 12 March, 2014 by unknown gunmen.
 
Because of his unyielding stand against Godswill Akpabio going for the senate (Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District) in 2015 at the expense of ‘Abak Five’ (the local government areas under the old Abak division) and the circumstances surrounding his killing, most people in the state believe that Ukpanah’s assassination was politically motivated.

But in a shocking twist, the state turned around to arrest late Ukpanah’s only son, Mr. Odudu who is now facing trial for the assassination of his father. If found guilty, Odudu, a UK trained petroleum management expert, may be condemned to death or life imprisonment.

Before his killers came for him, late Ukpanah was said to have received a phone call which prompted him to tell people around him that he was expecting some visitors.

A police investigation report by the Investigating Police Officer (IPO), Sgt. Ibederro Nnamdi, reportedly said ‘the people that assassinated the deceased are likely to be the people that he was expecting’. The IPO is said to have suspected political assassination.

One Jerry Udofia, in an article published in a local paper in the state, The Ink, raises some questions about Odudu Ukpanah’s detention. “At what point did the son of the deceased come in if the assassination was politically motivated? Odudu Albert Ukpanah is not a politician. The allegation preferred against the accused is preposterous as it is laughable.

“The police investigation also indicates that the telephone of the deceased had been forwarded to the State Security Service (SSS) for forensic analysis of the data therein. It is sad to note that the state Security Service findings are yet to be made available or ready, but the accused is charged for murder. In other words, the investigation is inconclusive and the Police expressly said so in the Police Investigations Report signed by the IPO.”

Late Ukpanah’s daughter, Ofonime says the family can’t continue to keep quiet why their only brother is rotting away in detention. “We have waited patiently for Akwa Ibom State government to produce evidence and witnesses to support the murder charge against our only brother that he killed our father for N2 million which the governor said he gave our dad the day he was murdered,” she said on Facebook under the hash tag #ReleaseOduduUkpanah.

Ofonime says their mother who is suffering from cancer, stroke and Parkinson’s disease is traumatised because of what has befallen the family, and that they are calling for the release of Odudu before Christmas.

“I was proudly an Akwa Ibomite and proud to say Akwa Ibom Ado Ok everywhere in the world till my dad Albert Ukpanah was murdered for speaking the truth. Now, I know what others passed through.

“People can't speak the truth anymore because of the fear of being murdered, but I still stand for the truth like my dad,” wrote Ofonime Ukpanah who is a popular stylist in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State.

Ofonime’s Facebook message, posted on 10 December, 2014, has been shared more than 200 times across the social networking site, and has had hundreds of comments.

Apparently referring to Governor Godswill Akpabio, one commentator on Facebook, Benjamin Benson wrote “Being a governor of a state doesn’t make you alpha and omega. I’m not amused by what you call uncommon transformation in Akwa Ibom State, it's so much to do with the blood of the innocent and it stinks.”

Another commentator, Frank Ukoh wrote “This is the type of audacity and impunity we must stop in Akwa Ibom.”

Several political analysts who spoke with Think Akwa Ibom! are of the opinion that the campaign for the release of Odudu Ukpanah has the potentials to destroy the fortunes of PDP especially among the young voters in the state, except the government step in immediately.