Another bloody Clash In Akwa Ibom, 1 killed, Several Injured

As the next month’s general elections gather momentum, there are strong indications that the polls might not be violent-free in Akwa Ibom State.
This followed Monday night clashes involving supporters of the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and their counterparts of the main opposition, All Progressives Congress (APC), which one person was feared killed and five others injured. The incident, it was gathered, occurred late Monday night along the popular ‘Maitama’ Road leading into the Ewet Housing Estate, Uyo. It was learnt that the deceased, a member of the
APC, was defacing and removing the campaign posters of the PDP House of Representatives candidate for Uyo Federal Constituency, Mr. Michael Enyong, popularly called ‘Baba Ntan’, when the PDP supporters emerged from their bus
to accost him. “Yes, the person was trying to remove the posters of the PDP candidate, Baba Ntan, and suddenly, the PDP supporters came with their
bus and arrested him. He was heavily beaten and his head was broken
when he ran for his dear life into Nteps’
Supermarket. The security at the supermarket blocked him from entering the place with his blood soaked body”, Emem Bassey, an eye witness told the
incident told our correspondent, adding that “he was eventually pushed into the gutter by his pursuers”. In the reprisal attack that followed, he stated that
no fewer than five others sustained various
degrees of injuries. Worried by the development, the Commissioner for Police, Mr. Gabriel Achong, has warned politicians to play by the rules and urged them to
restrain their supporters from tampering with the campaign posters of others for fear of violence. A statement by the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Mr. Etim Dickson (DSP), on behalf of his boss, appealed to the people to imbibe high ethical standards during the election
year and warned against being used by
politicians as thugs as the election approaches. Dickson urged supporters of both parties to refrain from removing or destroying posters of their opponents as this contradicts the electoral
laws. The police image maker therefore warned that anybody caught defacing or removing party posters would be prosecuted.