SOME youths of Nsie Village in Okobo Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State have allegedly killed their village head, Henry Esimeme, the Police has said.
The youth leadership crisis, which had been on for some time, also claimed the life of one youth, Sunday Ukoh, who was allegedly killed in a house that was set on fire.
The duo were reportedly killed, owing to suspicion that they had poisoned and killed a former youth President, Aniefiok Mkpo-Abasi.
The state’s Police Public Relations Officer, Nnudam Fredrick, in a statement on Tuesday, described the event as an unacceptable act of savagery, noting that the former youth President died on July 12, 2020, after he reportedly drank a herbal concoction in Sunday Ukoh’s house.
He said the occurrence enraged some elders of the community, including the Supervisory Counsellor of Finance in the local government, Nkereuwem John, who he claimed attacked and killed the village head, along with other accomplices.
A total of 15 suspects have been arrested while 14 have been declared wanted in connection with the crisis, according to the statement.
The statement said, “On 15/7/2020 at about 0845am, the Police Command received a disturbing report of mayhem in Nsie village occasioned by an incident in which the former youth president of Nsie village, one Aniefiok Mkpo-Abasi, a.k.a King of Boys, was alleged to have died on 12th July, 2020, on suspicion of drinking some local gins mixed with herbal concoction in the house of one Sunday Walter Ukoh ‘m’ of the same address.
“Following the incident, some disgruntled youths and elders of Nsie village under the aegis of the youth president, one Usong Morrison John ‘m’ and Nkereuwem John the Supervisory Councilor for Finance, Okobo Local Government Area arose from a meeting held at the village square and allegedly attacked and killed the village head of Nsie, one Chief Henry Esimeme ‘m’ and Sunday Walter Ukoh.
“In a related development, the hoodlums set a house on fire while another one was damaged.”