Police kill kidnapper who shot dead Premium Times editor’s brother — Official

The police in Akwa Ibom State, South-south Nigeria have killed a suspect, who abducted a High Court judge in the state eight months ago.

The police spokesperson in the state, Timfon John, who disclosed this in a statement in Uyo on Thursday, identified the suspect as Ubong Achibong.

“The Akwa Ibom State Police Command on Wednesday neutralised a dreaded kidnap kingpin/sea pirate whose stock in trade was to kidnap, kill, maim and cause havoc in societies.

“The suspect was neutralised during a gun battle with operatives of the Command in his hideout at Uyanga Community in Cross River State,” Ms John, an assistant superintendent of police said.

Mr Archibong “alias condiment,” the police said is “a gang leader of bling bling marine strike force terrorising Uruan/Oron Water Ways,” an area Governor Umo Eno, three days ago requested a new army battalion for, due to the surging abductions experienced there.

The suspect, according to the statement, was behind a series of high-profile abductions including the kidnap of Justice Joy Unwana last December and the killing of her police guard, ThankGod Edet.

Justice Unwana was returning to Uyo from Oron, where she had a court session, when she was abducted. She was released after spending five days in captivity.

Other abductions, killings by the suspect

Besides the abduction of the judge, the police said the slain suspect was also responsible for the killing of Sylvanus Ukpong, the elder brother of Cletus Ukpong, the PREMIUM TIMES editor for South-south/South-east region.

Sylvanus, former CEO of Emem & Sons Ltd, a construction company, and Emem Farm Ltd, was shot dead on 6 April along Oron Road by gunmen who attempted to abduct him.

The slain entrepreneur was heading to his farm along airport road when the incident happened.

The gunmen, who killed Sylvanus, kidnapped his farm manager, who was accompaning him to the farm.

“The suspect was also responsible for the kidnap of Pharmacist Joemel and Mr Brown, (the) CEO, Mingles Hotel.

“One G3 rifle with four live ammunition was recovered from the suspect. The corpse of the suspect was recovered and deposited at the morgue,” the police said.