Serving female Councilor in Bakassi Local Government Council of Cross River State, Irene Offiong Ekpe, and two others have been charged to court, following their alleged involvement in the kidnap of five expatriates on June 22, 2016. One of the male accused persons is said to be the personal driver to the serving female councilor, whose car was said to have been used in transporting the ransom paid to the kidnappers.

The suspects, in alleged connivance with suspected militants, were said to have kidnapped five staff of MacMahon, including three Australians, one New Zealander and a South African on their way to work at UNICEM Cement, a subsidiary of La-Farge Africa Plc. located at Mfamosing, in Akamkpa Local Government Area, about 20km from Calabar, the Cross River State Capital.

The driver, a Nigerian, who tried to escape with the expatriates, was shot dead. However, four days after the suspected militants freed the expatriates after a reported payment of about N250m ransom sourced by UNICEM and MacMahon, the Australian firm working for the latter, they were apprehended.

In the suit number MC/611c/2016 before Magistrate Court 9 in Calabar, between the Federal Government of Nigeria versus Irene Offiong Ekpe, Samuel Edet Asuquo and one other, the DSS is charging the three accused on three counts charge of kidnapping, conspiracy to kidnap with demand for ransom and murder.