Evil Nephews Kill and Bury their Uncle (Cleric) in the forest over Land dispute In Akwa Ibom State {Graphic Photos}

 

Warning, post contains graphic photos after the cut

 Residents of Ikot Udo, Ika Local Government Area of the State got the shock of their lives when a cleric's nephews, by names Usen Saturday Akpan and Friday Monday Akpan, killed and buried their uncle, one Pastor Okon Tommy Nnana,  in a shallow grave inside a forest.

Parading the suspects before newsmen on Monday, 27th April, 2015, at the State Police Headquarters, Ikot Akpan Abia, Assistant Commissioner of Police, State Criminal Investigation Department, Mike Okoli, hinted that the late clergy, Okon Tommy and his nephew, Usen Saturday, were having brouhaha over a piece of land, adding that several efforts by members of the community to reach a truce were unsuccessful until the matter was reported to the Village Head, Chief Effiong Paul Uboh.

“When the matter was reported to the monarch, the parties were invited on a certain date for a meeting with the Chief (and his council of elders) to ascertain the bonafide owner of the land.

“On the day they scheduled for the meeting, Usen Saturday Akpan, declined to attend the meeting claiming to have traveled to Port Harcourt (in Rivers State) to go and raise money for the meeting.

“But in the midnight breaking into the day for the meeting, Usen Saturday Akpan, conspired with others and went to the abode of the Late Pastor Okon Tommy Nnana, abducting him while he was sleeping with his wife”, said ACP Okoli.

According to the police boss, for more than two months, no one knew the whereabout of the clergy, up until the matter was reported to the police, and through intensive investigation, it was gathered from the suspects that they abducted Late Tommy Nnana, tied his hands to the back, killed and buried him in a shallow grave inside a thick forest.

 “When it was obvious that the man was missing and no one knew his whereabout, the matter was officially reported to the police by the Village Head, Chief Effiong Paul Uboh, then, we swung into action in search of the missing man.

“When the story was narrated that they were to attend a meeting with the Village Head over land issue, I questioned why Usen Saturday failed to attend the meeting where the matter was to be resolved. Gentlemen, that is when the bubble bursted for him. He told us he traveled to Port Harcourt to raise certain amount of money for the meeting. But, when my men took him to Port Harcourt to find out if he actually went there, we realized he never traveled at all, but conspired midnight of the meeting day with one Friday Monday Akpan, alias 18, to kill Tommy Nnana.

 “We did not stop there, we asked them to take the police to the shallow grave where they buried the man. The man had been declared missing since October 18, 2014. Eventually they took the police detectives to a forest in Ikot Udo, Ika Local Government Area, where they dug the skeletal parts of the man out of the shallow grave with his hands tied to his back”, said the ACP.

The cleric's remains

Fielding questions from newsmen, the first accused, Usen Saturday Akpan, however, admitted having a hand in the gruesome murder of his uncle, Pastor Tommy Nnana, but, said the mastermind was his alleged youth leader who however, is the second conspirator in the crime, Friday Monday Akpan, alias 18.

Speaking in his native Annang dialect, he said: “though we had a land dispute with the late Tommy Nnana, but the crux of the matter is that five (5) of my (Usen Saturday Akpan) siblings died in rapid progression. By that time, I went to my Uncle (Late Tommy Nnana) kneeling down and pleaded if he has hands in the death of my family members. He told me vividly that I am the next to die. Weeks later, I felt sick and never knew what to do until I reported my uncle and how he was sweeping my entire family members, to this my youth leader (that is, Friday Akpan alias 18). He then initiated moves to assassinate the man, (Tommy Nnana) for a fee of Two Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira (N250, 000). I later paid N50, 000 since I told him I won’t have such huge amount.

“Then, on that fateful night, Friday Akpan, alongside his younger brother, Promise, went and picked the man to where he was killed and buried in a shallow grave.

 “Before I was asked to use a plank and hit the man (Tommy Nnana), we took an oath (Urine mixed with salt and pepper) never to reveal the secret to anyone as any defaulter would die.

“After taking the oath, I used the plank on the head of the man, since he had confessed that he’s the one who killed 5 members of my family. Later, Promise (Friday’s brother) finished him up, till he gave up the ghost.

 But, Shockingly, after few days, one of us (a fellow conspirator, Promise) died mysteriously”, Usen Saturday Akpan, said.

Meanwhile, ACP, Mike Okoli, who decried high rate of deaths from land dispute, pleaded members of the public to always approach legitimate ways to solve their issues, stating unequivocally that Police in Akwa Ibom, would not spare any murderer no matter how highly placed in the society.

He hinted that the suspects who are now cooling their feet at the force headquarters, Ikot Akpan Abia, would soon appear in court.