Days after continued detention of Captain Iniobong Ekong (rtd) Senior Special Adviser on security matters to Governor Emmanuel Udom, the Speaker of the Akwa Ibom state House of Assembly Honourable Onofiok Luke has called on security agents to arraign him in court if they have anything against him or ensure his unconditional release .
Capt. Ekong, according to the state government was arrested a night preceding rescheduled presidential and National Assembly election by soldiers allegedly at the order of the GOC of the 6 Division of the Nigerian Army, Major General Jamil Sarham, based on a petition written by Senator Akpabio.
Speaking on a phone-in radio programme, monitored in Uyo at the weekend, Speaker Luke who is now member-elect, Etinan federal constituency, said it was disturbing that a member of his constituency would be held incommunicado for days in a democratic setting without prosecution.
According to the speaker: “I have been making findings to get the true location on where one of my constituents Captain Iniobong Ekong (rtd.) was abducted to. By Monday, I will be writing a formal petition to the security agency holding him, to ask for his immediate release.
“My argument will be that if Captain Ekong has committed a crime, he should be allowed to have his day in court. Keeping him in custody without any charge is out of place. And that is unacceptable to us as a people”.
Earlier, Governor Udom Emmanuel while fielding questions from journalists after casting his ballot at the just concluded presidential and National Assembly elections, condemned the indiscriminate arrest of members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state.
Udom said: “I don’t know what they think one man can do. This is just one human being and we are ready for the election. If he has any issue, I think it is just the police that should have questioned him but why invite him to the 6 division, not even the 2 brigade that is in the state. I doubt the genuineness of such detention. I just don’t want to preempt until we check with the army.
“We have adequate rule of law. And if they don’t obey, we challenge it in the law court . They should stay off intimidations.
“The level of Intimidation in Akwa Ibom State is unbearable. People are being intimidated, harrassed and the Commissioner of Police sent to Akwa Ibom is working with three or four juniour officers to harrass innocent people. If you go to their cell now, it is filled with PDP supporters, i dont know whether they have a cell that can take the 2.1 million voters in the state because they all belong to PDP.”
