...As IGP gives group two weeks to surrender arms, denounce cultism

..It'll be fire, fury after two weeks - DSS warns

Members of the dreaded Akwa Marine Cult group in Essien Udim Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State have been given a two-weeks ultimatum to surrender their arms, denounce cultism, embrace peace or face the full wrath of the law. 

The Inspector General of Police, IGP, gave the order on Saturday when he addressed members of Midim Atan Community as part of a peace and reconciliation effort brokered by security agencies towards finding lasting peace in the area. The IGP was represented by the Essien Udim Divisional Police Officer, Guga Alhasssan at the parley.

Amidst watertight security by the Police and Department of Security Services, DSS, indigenes of Midim Atan Community, comprising of Midim Atan, Midim Ikot Inyang Udo, Midim Nto Udo, Midim Ikot Akpan and Midim Ikot Ubo Villages in Essien Udim LGA of Akwa Ibom State, gathered at the Midim Village Council under the peace initiative. It was the first time in years some indigenes of the area set foot on the village since the community was taken over by the cult group.

The IGP who pleaded with the youths to repent and give peace a chance, warned that no meaningful development can thrive in the community without peace and admonished the elders to unite, reconcile and help maintain the peace. 

He warned that no criminal group can arm twist or blackmail the government, describing as ridiculous, claims by the cultist that they will only stop the killings and embrace peace if their leader, Mr Emmanuel Ben is released from prison custody.

Also speaking, a representative of the Director of State Security, DSS, admonished the youths to see their continuous criminal activities as undermining not just their future but the peace, progress and development of the community. 

He admonished Midim youths to compare their community with neighbouring Mkpatak and see the difference between a peaceful community and a war torn area, urging them to embrace peace in their own interest. The DSS warned that at the expiration of the two weeks amnesty window, the government will confront the security situation in Midim with fire and fury, warning the cultist and community leaders to learn from the Odi and Ika examples.

In a communique issued at the end of the peace meeting, the community said having exhausted every effort to attract government and other relevant agencies attention through many petitions over the menace of cult activities plaguing the community in the last seven years without success which has resulted in the deaths of many indigenes, the time has come for all relevant stakeholders to come together to avoid a total breakdown of law and order.

The community lamented that the havoc caused by Akwa Marine Cult group under the leadership of Emmanuel Ben Umoh and his sponsors, which have been well documented in many petitions and entries to security agencies all over the country include the KIDNAP, TORTURE AND ROBBERY OF CELESTINE IKPA IN 2011, the MURDER OF ANIEKAN FRIDAY, ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT ON SAMUEL MEL AND VICTOR UDOM IN 2015, the MURDER AND PUBLIC INCINERATION OF UDO FRIDAY JOHN UDOM 2016, the MURDER AND PUBLIC INCINERATION OF UDO EKPENYONG UWA IN 2016, ATTACK AND THREAT TO LIFE OF CHIEF ABEL WILSON UMO, ARMED ROBBERY ATTACK ON UDEME TOM UDOUDO, ROBBERY ATTACK AND GRAVE BODILY INJURY ON UNYIME AUGUSTINE MEL, ROBBERY AND GRAVE BODILY INJURY ON UDEME UTONGWO WITH MOTOR CYCLE SNATCHED AT GUN POINT, ARMED ROBBERY AND GRAVE BODILY INJURY ON UBONG OKON UDO WITH MOTOR CYCLE SNATCHED AT GUN POINT, ROBBERY AND GRAVE BODILY INJURY ON EMEM JAPHET, ARMED ROBBERY AND GRAVE BODILY INJURY ATTACK ON UDUAK OKON UDO, SEVERAL DAYLIGHT ROBBERY ATTACKS ON COMMUNITY MARKET, URUA NSONG ETO, IMPOSITION OF CURFEW AND CLOSURE OF NSONGETO MARKET ON 22ND APRIL 2017 by the cultists, INTIMIDATION OF PARENTS AND FAMILY MEMBERS OF MURDERED VICTIMS BY GANG MEMBERS FORCING THEM ON EXILE FOR OVER A YEAR NOW WITH NO HOPE OF RETURN, ASSAULT ON, SACRILEGIOUS PUBLIC STRIPPING AND COMMANDEERING OF THE ROBES AND STAFF OF OFFICE OF THE ACTING VILLAGE HEAD OF MIDIM ATAN  CHIEF ESEME JEREMIAH ON 7TH APRIL, 2017, ASSASSINATION OF MR MONDAY UDO EKANEM, a RETIRED STAFF OF THE NIGERIA DEPOSIT INSURANCE CORPORATION ON AUGUST 11TH , 2017, ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT ON THE LIFE OF CHIEF ESEME JEREMIAH  ACTING VILLAGE HEAD OF MIDIM ATAN VILLAGE, WHO ESCAPED BY THE WHISKERS WITH MULTIPLE BULLET WOUNDS ON AUGUST 30, 2017, ONGOING THREATS TO ASSASSINATE ALL VILLAGE HEADS, ELDERS AND COMMUNITY LEADERS UNLESS THEIR LEADER  EMMANUEL BEN UMOH, WHO IS CURRENTLY IN PRISON CUSTODY IN IKOT EKPENE PRISONS IS RELEASED UNCONDITIONALLY, FREQUENT CLANDESTINE MEETINGS BETWEEN THE GANG, EMMANUEL BEN  AND THEIR MOLES IN SECURITY CIRCLES RESULTING IN CONTINUED MAYHEM, INFLUENCE OF POLITICAL HEAVY WEIGHTS IN PROTECTING THE GANG WITH MANY ATTEMPTS TO FRUSTRATE INVESTIGATION AND PROSECUTION OF CULPABLE GANG MEMBERS AND PROVEN SPONSORS.

The communique noted that the continued lethargy of the security agencies to act on the numerous petitions already submitted, has encouraged, escalated threat levels and increased physical and psychological torture to the numerous victims and the entire community as innocent lives have continuously been lost to syndicated terror attacks by Akwa Marine cultists, who are roaming freely in the community. 

"The gang often boasts of their invincibility, claiming that they have the support of government machinery at different levels, and blessings of top politicians. And we have no reason so far, to doubt them". 

"We are aware with incontrovertible facts that the said group enjoys the sponsorship and protection of some notable highly placed individuals, top legislators and other selfish politicians with sinister interests in and around Essien Udim LGA".

 "We are also aware that the group has spread into other communities and LGAs that share common boundary with ours, such as  Ukanafun and Etim Ekpo, and have integrated themselves fully with sister terror groups who have found safe haven in those places and continue to spread terror", the communique noted.

There has been series of petitions to the IGP, DSS, Presidency, NSA,Ministry of Justice, all of which had been duly received and acknowledged with no action whatsoever:  

The communique reads, "In April 2017, Midim Traditional Council and some exiled victims appeared before the Inspector General of Police Monitoring Team A in Louis Edet House Abuja who are ostensibly in charge of the investigation and clearly stated their concerns and frustrations as captured by many print, electronic and online publications with no help in sight till date". 

"After many unsuccessful efforts to attract the attention of relevant government agencies, the Traditional Council set up a Special Committee made up of Four (4) Village Heads, 5 youth leaders, and 10 other members, including the most senior clergy to explore dialogue with Akwa Marine. Mr. Monday Udo Ekanem was appointed as Chairman". 

"Akwa Marine gave the unconditional release of their leader  Emmanuel Ben Umoh, as the only condition for peace. In one of the committee sittings, the Chairman personally reported that five (5) members of the gang accosted him and threatened to kill him if he did not use his position to cause immediate and unconditional release of their leader in Police custody. This threat was promptly communicated to security agencies including the IGP Monitoring team, without any action as usual". 

"The group carried out that threat by assassinating the Chairman of that committee, Monday Udo Ekanem. His bullet ridden body is still in the mortuary begging for investigation. Another committee member, the acting Village of Midim Atan Village - Chief Eseme Jeremiah, was severally shot on the 30st of August but miraculously survived the assassination attempt and is undergoing medical treatment now", the community lamented. 

Continuing, the community said, "Having recognized the fact that these killings and acts of terror pose grave danger to the continued survival and sustenance of our people, and are targeted at annihilating all the people who are seen by that cult group and their sponsors as enemies and indeed, leaders of the community; Having exhausted all channels of seeking the protection of government and security agencies throughout the Federal Republic of Nigeria from the killing machine of the cult group and their sponsors without success; And having severally invited all the suspected members of the group to appear and answer questions regarding their role(s) in these heinous crimes without success, the entire people of Midim community hereby resolve as follows:

"That Akwa marine cult group and indeed, all other cult groups by whatsoever name or identity and their related activities are hereby banned in and around Midim Community;

"Hence forth, anybody seen or reasonably considered of engaging in, holding a meeting or pursuing any course similar or suspected of bearing similitude with any cult or criminal activity in or around Midim Community shall ipso facto be treated as an enemy of the community with attendant unimaginable consequences;

"Midim Community is hereby declared a cult free society forthwith in the presence of security agencies, the media and other interested bodies here present;

"That suspected members of Akwa Marine cult group whose names have been identified by individuals and the community in any of the petitions before the agencies be given a final opportunity of two (2) weeks grace, starting from today to openly denounce their membership before the Traditional Council and turn a new leave;

"That all repentant members will be integrated back into the community upon their committing to be of good conduct going forward;

"That notwithstanding (ii) and (iii) above, any indigene suspected of involvement in killing, murder, assassination, kidnapping, etc. shall be made to defend himself against such allegations;

"Where the traditional council is convinced of innocence, the suspect will be absolved of any blame;

"In the event of any indictment, such a person(s) shall be be handed over to Security agents for further investigation;

" That i.t must be noted that, while the community is willing to forgive sundry crimes by the gang members, capital offences will be handed over to the appropriate authorities for investigation and prosecution. All such cases would be closely monitored;

"That the traditional council immediately investigates the recent deaths and assassination attempts of Late Monday Udo Ekanem and Chief Eseme Jeremiah respectively;

"A report on this shall be submitted to the entire community not later than 30th day of September 2017;

"The community shall submit findings and make suggestions and recommendations to relevant government agencies for necessary action on or before the 7th October 2017;

"That all key members of the gang, who had been earlier invited through their parents and family members but failed to appear to answer questions before the Traditional Council, are hereby given the last chance to do so, on or before Saturday 23rd September 2017 failing which they shall be declared “enemy of the community and would be recommended to security agents for inclusion in the criminal wanted list; "Such person(s) shall be declared persona non grata in our community and expelled;

"In the event that such a person(s) refuse(s) to voluntarily surrender, any member of the community that comes in contact with such a person, whenever and wherever such a person may be found, is by this resolution empowered to arrest or cause to be arrested such individual for immediate handover to security agents;

"That anybody in Midim Community including their families and relations that harbors any one of these criminals or willfully refuses to report them to the authorities, conceals their whereabouts, colludes, connives or conspires with them to evade arrest/capture, or hides them in any compound, farm, bush, house, church, shrine, hamlet, hut or on any soil within Midim Community shall be treated as an accessory after the fact and shall face the same consequences as in (iv) above;

"That threats, intimidation and targeting with the intention to harm any of our sons and daughters by any individual or group, external and internal, will be seen as an attack on the Midim Community as a whole. Henceforth, injury to one will be injury to all;

"That while Midim Community remains a very hospitable and accommodating community for all, we do not want our community to be used as a breeding ground for miscreants and terrorists especially now that the country is facing grievous security challenges; 

"Any intending visitor or persons in transit through our communities must conduct themselves in a manner supportive of the norms and standards of Midim Community. Suspicious conducts will be discouraged and legitimately challenged;

"That we warn all politicians to desist forthwith from continuing to embolden this group and arming them to terrorize our community.  We have decided to take our destiny in our hands and protect ourselves; "Anybody who feels that he/she can levy a proxy war in our community through any cult group in whatever name called should know that nobody has monopoly of violence. We have never sponsored terror in Ukana Clan, Utu Ekpenyong or Odoro Ikot Communities and therefore, would not stand idly by to watch our children slaughtered by any gang sponsored by people from other communities;

The community advocated for better collaborative synergy, cooperation and support from the security agencies to enhance peace and crime prevention and appealed to the IGP to direct Police Monitoring Team A to work with the State Commissioner of Police and Essien Udim DPO to conclude all pending investigations over this age long crisis by ensuring that all suspects especially the alleged sponsors of the gang are apprehended, investigated and prosecuted immediately to serve as a deterrent.

Something must be done in this bad places.

This same matter! For how long wound the security agencies refuse to act? Naija na wa oo!

https://www.naij.com/1123408-1-dead-akwa-ibom-chief-shot-cultists-invade-community.html

http://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/more-news/230423-akwa-ibom-community-siege-cult-group-attacks-many.html

Police, Akwa Ibom community give dreaded cult group two-week ultimatum
September 11, 2017Cletus Ukpong
Akwa Ibom State Governor, Udom Emmanuel
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A local community in Akwa Ibom State has given an ultimatum to members of a suspected local cult group to lay down their arms and denounce cultism or be ready to face the people’s wrath, as well as the law.
The people of Midim Atan, in Essien Udim Local Government Area of the state, assembled at their ‘Afe Idung’ (community hall) on Saturday to deliberate on the activities of the suspected cult group, Akwa Marine, and its impact on the general well-being of the community.
The unanimous verdict was that it was unacceptable for the rest of the community to continue to live as helpless victims in the hands of “a few bad persons among them.”
There was tight security at the meeting venue. More than a dozen armed security men were seen guarding the area.
The leader of the Akwa Marine, Emmanuel Ben, is in prison custody for cultism and murder. He was arrested in April by community youth and handed over to the police.
But that hasn’t stopped his followers from allegedly unleashing terror on the community.
“The essence of today’s meeting is (for the community) to ask the cultists to come out for peace and that they will be granted amnesty,” Abel Wilson, the Village Head of Midim Ikot Ubo, said on behalf of other village heads, family heads, community leaders, women and youth leaders in the community.
“They (the cultists) have only one week to denounce cultism,” he said, adding that “We are also requesting for the government’s intervention so that cultists won’t drive us out from the village.


“We don’t have anywhere to run to. We don’t want more people to be killed.”
The Divisional Police Officer, DPO, in the local government area, Alhassan Guga, and the officer in-charge of the State Security Service, SSS, George Isaac, were present at the meeting.
The meeting was also attended by indigenes of the community who fled to Uyo, the state capital, and outside the state because of the maiming and killings alleged to have been perpetrated in the community by the suspected cultists.
Victor Udom, one of the victims of the cult attack in the community who now lives in exile in Abuja, was also at the meeting.
He said he won’t keep quiet while criminals continue to destroy lives in the community.
“We must stop the killing now in our community,” said Mr. Udom, a former employee of Mobil Nigeria.
“I will do everything I can to defend the right of the people to life,” he said.
The residents , one after the other, recounted how their loved ones were attacked and killed, sometimes in broad daylight, in the past seven years by members of the Akwa Marine.
PREMIUM TIMES, in May, reported on the activities of the suspected cult group and how the community people who appeared to be helpless because of the alleged police inaction travelled to Abuja in April to seek intervention from the Inspector General of Police.
One aged woman, whose son, Udo Udom, was brutally killed, cut into pieces, and burnt by the suspected cultists in 2016, was among the community people on the Abuja trip.
In Abuja then, the woman, Nse John, narrated in tears to PREMIUM TIMES what happened.


“They came and took my child from the house at 7 p.m. When they left with my child, I was not feeling well, I put on my clothes and walked gently. Before I could get there, they had killed him and cut him into pieces.”
At the Saturday meeting in Midim Atan, Mrs. John, still grieving, begged the community and the police to fish out those who murdered her son and ensure that justice was done.
“I can’t sleep in my village anymore because they want to kill me. I don’t know why they killed my son, I don’t know why they want to kill me and my family,” she said.
Eseme Jeremiah, the Acting Village Head of Midim Atan, is another victim of the cult attack.
Notwithstanding his status in the community, Mr. Jeremiah was shot multiple times by his attackers on August 30.
He miraculously survived the attack.
Mr. Jeremiah pulled off his cloth at the community hall to show people the bullet wounds on his back.
Monday Ekanem, a retired employee of the Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation, NDIC, wasn’t that lucky. He was shot dead in his country home by suspected cultists on August 11, few months after he relocated to the community.
Ironically, both Mr. Jeremiah and the murdered retired NDIC staff were members of a peace committee set up by the community to reconcile the suspected cultists with other members of the community.
The Akwa Marine members, said to be enjoying the backing of some powerful politicians and security officials in the state, are also alleged to be involved in armed robbery in Midim Atan and neighbouring communities.
The group is said to have once shut down the local market and prevented people from selling or buying for the day just to demonstrate how powerful they were.
The SSS chief in the local government area, Mr. Isaac, persuaded the community to “allow a two-week ultimatum to the suspected cultists, instead of one week.”
The SSS and the police assured the community that they would do their best to help restore peace and order in the area.


“After two weeks, if you don’t come out and renounce cultism, we will come after you,” the SSS chief said, obviously referring to the cultists.
The Midim community issued a communiqué at the end of the meeting, warning politicians to desist from arming and encouraging Akwa Marine to continue terrorising them.
“We have decided to take our destiny in our hands and protect ourselves,” the community said in the communiqué.
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http://www.premiumtimesng.com/regional/south-south-regional/242984-police-akwa-ibom-community-give-dreaded-cult-group-two-week-ultimatum.html

Nigeria is heading to a very bad state..... The rate of crime is increasing everywhere. The earlier we stop and rethink and restructure this country, the better for all. When oil prices drop and when reserves finally drops on the long run...We are in for a long thing.

Monday Udo Ekanem - Ex Staff of NDIC Killed by the gang. ( He was Chairman of the Peace Committee set up by the community to encourage the cult group to lay doen their arms. They shot him dead when he was unable to free their leader from jail)

See story of one of their killings earlier reported in this forum before. There is something sinister and unusual about the audacity of this group.

https://www.nairaland.com/3982040/retired-ndic-staff-assassinated-suspected

Photo of the Gang Leader. (He is in custody awaiting trial in Ikot Ekpene Prison)

CC lalasticlala over to you.