Friday, 29th March 2024
To guardian.ng
Search

Police parade Uduak Akpan, father as Iniubong is buried

By Inemesit Akpan-Nsoh, Uyo
15 May 2021   |   4:08 am
The Akwa Ibom State Police Command has paraded Uduak Akpan, who allegedly raped and killed job seeker, Miss Iniubong Umoren, and his father, Mr. Frank Akpan.

Uduak Akpan

The Akwa Ibom State Police Command has paraded Uduak Akpan, who allegedly raped and killed job seeker, Miss Iniubong Umoren, and his father, Mr. Frank Akpan.

The state Commissioner of Police, Amiengheme Andrew, said the parade was necessary to dispel rumours that the suspect had committed suicide while in its custody. 

Meanwhile, the Iniubong was buried yesterday in her family compound in Nung Ita, Ikot Essien in Oruk Anam Local Council. At the funeral service, friends and sympathisers of the deceased, who were undeterred by a downpour, rained curses on Uduak and others behind the heinous crime.

During the lying in state, family and friends of the deceased wept uncontrollably, describing Iniubong’s death as a great loss.  Her elder sister, Ifiok Umoren, described Iniubong as her best friend and confidant, who was hardworking, honest and outspoken.

“I and Iniubong had cordial relationship as sisters. It’s painful that she was cut in her prime. I feel bad that she has to go this day. 

“She knows how to fix things, a very good coordinator and a strategist. I’m going to miss her selfless service. I pray God to give Iniubong justice,” she said.

Iniubong, the 26-year-old University of Uyo (UNIUYO) graduate of Philosophy, who was lured, raped and eventually killed for a phony job offer by Uduak, who has confessed to the crime, saying he was ready to die if found guilty.

The suspect, 20, a 200-level Public Administration student of Obong University, Etim in Ekpo Local Council, said her killed Iniubong in self-defence, after she accepted his proposal for a consensual sex, but turned around later to “attack me with a stabilizer when I tried to bring condom.”

While speaking to journalists, Akpan, who was paraded alongside his father, Mr. Frank Akpan, confessed that he had so far raped six girls, but that only Iniubong died from the attack. 

His father denied knowledge of the criminal activities of his son, saying he didn’t know his son was a rapist, as he did not stay in the village to know what his son was doing in their family compound. 

Uduak recounted: “When I met her, I asked her whether she would like to work in a hard drug farm and she agreed. When we got to the house, I asked her for sex and she agreed and insisted I use condom. 

“It was when I tried to remove the condom that she picked up the stabilizer and hit me and blood was coming out of my head. At that point, I grabbed the stabilizer and also hit her, trying make her submit peacefully.

“It was not my intention to kill her, but if at the end of everything I am found guilty, I am ready to also die.” Regarding other shallow graves, clothes, books and NYSC shoes discovered in the compound, he denied that they belonged to those he had killed earlier, saying: “The NYSC shoes belong to my mother and we used it for farm work. The books belong to me and my sister.”

Uduak added that Iniubong was the only lady that died among the six he had lured and slept with, using the same phony job offers as bait.

The Police boss, who disclosed that investigation into the case was ongoing and would be followed to logical conclusion, assured that justice would be served. He accused the social media of circulating false and fabricated stories surrounding the death of the deceased.

Andrew denied the existence of other shallow graves in the compound where the buried body of Iniubong was found, saying no bones were found there and the facility where the suspect was arrested has no place to keep body parts.

He said since investigations into the case was ongoing, the Police was yet to find out if the suspect was part of any body harvesting organisation, appealling to the public to furnish the Police with any information regarding the case, instead of circulating false and unverified information on the social media. 

According to the funeral programme, Iniubong was born on April 16, 1995 to late Mr. Ephraim Rufus Umoren of Nung Ita and late Mrs. Beneditte Alexander of Afaha Ikot Akwa in Ukanafun Local Council, both Akwa Ibom State. She attended Cardinal Ekanem Nursery and Primary School, Abak and Stella Maris Secondary School, Ikot Etim, Ukanafun, as well as Southern Annang Comprehensive Secondary School, Ikot Okoro, where she obtained her SSCE.

Iniubong, who was a student in the Department of Philosophy, University of Uyo, graduated with a CGPA of 4.12. The funeral service was conducted by Faith Tabernacle, Ikot Ibritam District at the deceased family compound in Nung Ita, Ikot Essien, Oruk Anam.

0 Comments