Just in: Gunmen reportedly storm Senator Akpabio’s country home

Gunmen on Tuesday, August 21, around 7.30 p.m, reportedly stormed the country home of former minority leader, senator Godswill Akpabio, in Akwa Ibom state, where he was holding political meeting.

TRACK NEWS gathered that Anietie Ekong, Akpabio’s media aide, took to Facebook on Tuesday night to raise an alarm.

Ekong wrote: “On-going: sporadic shooting by unknown gunmen at Ukana Ikot Ntuen, Essien Udim Local Government, country home of former Senate Minority Leader, Senator Godswill Akpabio.

“The Divisional Police Officer, Essien Udim and the Commissioner of Police Akwa Ibom State should please urgently intervene.”

However, the police are yet to confirm the incident.

People living close to Akpabio’s house in Ukana Ikot Ntuen, Essien Udim, said they observed several police trucks parked in front of the senator’s house in the morning, around 6.30 a.m.

Akpabio’s media aide, Ekong on Wednesday morning, August 22, told Premium Times that the senator is safe.

Ekong, who said he was present during the incident, explaining what happened said: “The senator was at home holding political meeting with some APC groups.

A retired deputy inspector-general police, Udom Ekpoudom, was in that meeting. Bishop Samuel Akpan was also there. I was there as an observer. We were in the banquet hall.

“Suddenly, people who were not part of the meeting rushed into the banquet hall, so the senator enquired from them what was going on. Before anybody could explain, we heard gunshots, sporadic shooting, outside.”

TRACK NEWS previously reported that the Akwa Ibom state government accused Senator Godswill Akpabio of playing God following the lawmaker’s defection to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

The commissioner for information and strategy, Charles Udoh, said the former governor does not have any cogent reason for leaving the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Vanguard reports.

Udoh said several people would have followed Akpabio to the APC if the lawmaker had convincing reasons for defecting.