The family of the village head of Ikot Ese in Oruk Anam Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom Chief Aniekan Thompson Obonoh has petitioned the Inspector General of Police over the where about of their husband and father.
The 50 year royal father is said to have been taken by his nephew, one Hon Friday Obonoh, a former councillor in Oruk Anam Local Government Area and one-time aide to the former secretary of the Peoples’ Democratic Party, (PDP), in the state.
Our correspondent gathered that the said Hon Obonoh has been in police detention for an alleged kidnapping and murder case.
A daughter to the village head, Emem Thompson Obonoh in a petition to the Inspector General of police pleaded with the IGP to use his good offices look into the matter.
“Chief Aniekan Thompson Obonoh is Hon Friday Obonoh’s uncle. He had a slight malaria attack sometimes in 2013 and we were happy when Hon Friday Obonoh, his nephew, came to the village and offered to take him to the hospital for treatment. One of the children wanted to follow him but Hon Friday Obonoh objected with the argument that he (our father) was in safe hands.
“But since then till today, we have not heard anything about our husband and father.
Our mother, of 75 years, has been having sleepless nights over the disappearance of the village head resulting in several medical complications that have eaten deep into the family’s lean finances.
On many occasions, when we ask Hon Friday Obonoh of the health condition and or where about of our husband and father, he will always tell us that he is fine.
‘’we are so worried because as a village head, our husband and father is supposed to take care of his wife and children as well as conduct the affairs of the village and represent it at various fora but his absence has impacted negatively not only on the welfare of the family but the village and local government at large,” she stated.
The petitioner further said that “sometimes in 2014, we were told that Hon Friday Obonoh ‘killed our husband and father and used his body for ritual purposes,’ a story that we still believe is a fairly-tale. All efforts from the family to persuade Hon Friday Obonoh to return our husband and father or his corpse for proper burial have proved abortive.
He always threatened to use his resources and connections to deal with our mother and anybody in the family who dare ask him to return our husband and father to his home.”
We therefore which to appeal that you use your good offices to help us have our husband and father back and in good health.” the statement added