16 January, 2015

Press Statement


RE: DON'T POLITICISE DETENTION OF ODUDU
UKPANAH, GOVERNOR AKPABIO TELLS
ACTIVISTS




The attention of the Coalition of Human
Rights Defenders ( COHRD ) and the
immediate family of the slain outspoken
politician and chieftain of the Peoples
Democratic Party, Late Engr Albert Jimmy
Ukpanah, has been drawn to certain reports
in the media with the above or similar
caption credited to the Executive Governor of
Akwa Ibom State, Chief Godswill Obot
Akpabio CON.

In the said reports which is being circulated
tirelessly on social media, yahoo groups and
to media houses by media aides to governor
Akpabio, the governor was extensively
quoted and reported to have made some
grave allegations, insinuations and
statements at two separate events (during
the inauguration of the PDP Gubernatorial
Campaign Council and at the swearing in of
the new Attorney General of the state) on
Tuesday 13th January, 2015 in connection
with the ongoing campaign for the release of
Mr. Odudu Ukpanah who has been
incarcerated since 27th May, 2014 ostensibly
on the orders of the Governor. In the said
reports, the following allegations,
insinuations and statements are credited to
the governor;

1. That he gave the deceased the sum of #2
million (two million naira) two days? before
he was murdered to assist him in treating his
wife of cancer;

2. That Odudu Ukpanah abandoned his father
to watch football and did not raised an alarm
after his father was murdered;


3. That Odudu did not report the incident to
the police until after 4 days;


4. That Odudu took his father's corpse to a
private morgue instead of a government
owned hospital;


5. That Odudu washed off his father's blood
which resulted from the murder from the
ground before the arrival of the police;


6. That Odudu broke the door of his father's
bed room immediately after the incident;



7. That there is escalation in cases of children
killing their parents in the state;



8. That if Odudu killed his father, God should
allow those demanding his release to also be
killed.

Ordinarily, we would have ignored these
offensive shenanigans since the matter is
before a court of competent jurisdiction but
after careful perusal of the said reports, we in
the COHRD and family of the Late Engr Albert
Jimmy Ukpanah are impelled, with the
greatest hesitation, to issue this joint press
statement so as to set the records straight for
the sake of credulous members of the public
who may be seduced by the half truths and
naked lies contained in the said reports and
also to ensure that Odudu’s fundamental
right to presumption of innocence until
proved guilty guaranteed by Section 36 ( 5 )
of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of
Nigeria 1999 is preserved and protected.
We
wish to restate as follows and respond to the
issues seriatim;


1. ON THE PURPORTED DONATION OF #2
MILLION TO THE DECEASED:
Firstly, we wish to note the material
contradictions in the governor's statements
on this issue. During the burial of the
deceased, the governor had said openly
during his speech that he gave the deceased
#2 million on the very day he was murdered.
However, in the statement credited to him
while inaugurating the PDP Campaign Council,
he said when the deceased came to him that
TUESDAY, 2 DAYS BEFORE he was murdered,
he gave him #2 million and asked him to
come back on Thursday so that he will
arrange for his wife to be flown abroad for
treatment. The deceased was murdered on
Wednesday 12th March, 2014, not on a
'Tuesday'. Which of the two inconsistent
statements should we take? Could such fatal
and material contradiction be inadvertent or
an indication that someone is lying?
There is no evidence that the deceased
actually received any such money on any day
as alleged by the governor. We reject this
claim in its entirety as the deceased was not
bankrupt before his death. However,
supposing without conceding that the money
was offered on the date first mentioned, we
are tempted to ask why the assassination
coincided with the donation and if the said
money has been traced to Odudu?

2. ON NOT SHOUTING FOR HELP:
Odudu raised an alarm upon coming out to
meet his dad in the pool of his blood.
Neighbors ;including the PW1 who gave
evidence in an open court on December 15,
2014 and passersby who were returning
from various viewing centers after the match
came into the compound and assisted in
taking the father to the hospital. The witness
who lives close to the deceased house said in
court that Odudu ran to his house shouting
for help; this is the first witness called by the
prosecution. So who is saying that Odudu did
not raise an alarm? We will like that "eye
witness" to enter the witness box and give
evidence for the prosecution. It is pertinent
to state that political meetings in the
deceased's house was a regular routine,
therefore it is pointless to say that Odudu
abandoned his father when the yet to be
identified visitors came to his house for a
meeting.



3. NOT MAKING A REPORT TO THE POLICE UNTIL
AFTER 4 DAYS:
The deceased was murdered on 12th March,
2014 at about 11pm, Odudu only returned
from the hospital at about 2 am of 13th
March, 2014. He reported the matter to the
Abak Divisional Police Station where the
incident took place that morning. He made a
statement there. Officers from Abak came
that morning and took pictures of the
deceased, they also carried the empty can of
stout and Remy martins which he served his
guests. The Police Investigation Report dated
25th March, 2014, and signed by the IPO Sgt.
Ibediro Nnamdi acknowledged that the case
was taken over from the Abak Division by the
State Police Command on 17th March, 2014.




4. NOT TAKING THE DECEASED TO A
GOVERNMENT HOSPITAL:
We will like to know if the Cottage Hospital
Ukana in Essien Udim Local Government Area
where the deceased was rushed to and
where he was pronounced dead is a private
hospital? The deceased was moved to
Romaco Funeral home on the 13th of March
which was the following day accompanied by
his sister and relatives. Has anyone verified
with Romaco if Odudu took the deceased
there alone? Autopsy was performed on the
deceased at Romaco in the presence of the
IPO and the children of the deceased. The
autopsy report is available for all to see.



5. WASHING OFF THE BLOOD FROM THE
DECEASED BODY:
The blood that was on the ground as a result
of the violent murder was washed-off by the
security man (a relative ) of the deceased. He
washed it off on the 13th of March 2014 at
about 7am because people who thronged
into the compound the following day
suggested he cleaned it up. Odudu never
instructed him to do so, upon returning from
the hospital at about 2am he went straight to
the neighbors place out of fear and had not
gotten into the compound yet when the
blood was washed off. Of course, the man is
an illiterate and may not have known the
evidential value of it. This man made a
statement to the police which they choose to
close their eyes to.

6. BREAKING OF THE DECEASED'S BED ROOM
DOOR:
Odudu did not break any door. The said door
was broken by a carpenter on the 13th
March, 2014 (a day after the incident) at
about 4pm after returning from Romaco
Funeral home with the sister and other
relatives. Odudu’s aunts advised that
important documents be retrieved since the
house would not be occupied for a while.
This took place in the presence of many
people, including neighbors. The carpenter
and his sister made a statement to the police
affirming this fact which they also discarded,
all in a desperate attempt to cover the truth.



7. OTHER CASES OF CHILDREN KILLING THEIR
PARENTS:
On the 6th January, 2015, the Commissioner
of Police, Akwa Ibom State, Mr. Gabriel
Achong, put a call to the Convener of the
Coalition of Human Rights Defenders
( COHRD ), Comrade Inibehe Effiong, and
requested for a meeting with the leaders of
COHRD. At the meeting which had in
attendance two daughters of the slain
politician, the Police Commissioner who
spoke more like a Chief Press Secretary to the
governor brandished a document which he
had prepared purportedly showing list of
cases of persons who were murdered by
their children, wives, husbands and other
close relatives.
We now see what that comical display was all
about; a desperate attempt to show that the
charge against Odudu is not peculiar.
However, just as we told the COP, we wish to
restate that every case should be treated on
its merits. However, we are sensitive enough
to know that there is a close link between
crime rate and bad governance. Is such a
trend not an indictment on the Chief Security
Officer of the state?
Again, why did the governor not mention the
many documented cases of politically
motivated killings in the state since 2007. If
governor Akpabio believes that Odudu killed
his father, does he also believe that Edidem
Robert Obot (a paramount), Mrs Udonwa (the
mother of a governorship aspirant), the
Ekpenyong brothers, Obong Paul Usoro (a
former Vice Chairman South South, of PDP),
and many other victims of assassination were
murdered by their children? Is it not true that
the deceased just like the other victims, held
strong dissenting views particularly
pertaining to the 2015 elections in the state?



8. WISHING DEATH FOR THOSE DEMANDING THE
RELEASE OF ODUDU
If actually governor Akpabio placed a curse of
death on those demanding that Odudu be
released should it be that Odudu is culpable,
then it is most unfortunate. While we
continue to insist that Odudu is innocent, we
are not only embarrassed that such
intemperate and threatening utterance is
being attributed to a state governor; such a
shame. We are also very concerned about our
lives. We therefore appeal to Nigerians to take
note of this.




CONCLUSION
Our position remains that Odudu Ukpanah,
an only son and a masters degree holder in
Oil and Gas Management from Coventry
University, United Kingdom, did not kill the
father. This is a young Nigerian without any
past record of criminal activity.
We once again demand the immediate and
unconditional release of Odudu. The
governor and his media aides should stop
engaging in baseless pedestrian gossips.
They should let the innocent boy go and
rather unravel the REAL KILLERS of Hon. Engr.
Albert Jimmy Ukpanah as recommended by
the IPO, Sgt. Ibediro Nnamdi in his report. We
wish to know why the Akwa Ibom State
Chapter of PDP that the deceased was an
active and leading member and also served
as an officer at a time, NEVER issued any
statement condemning the murder of their
member? Could it be because the deceased
had opposed the senatorial ambition and
succession plan of the governor?
For clarity and benefit of doubt, the opinion/
recommendation part of the Police
Investigation Report dated 25th March, 2014
and signed by the IPO, Sgt. Ibediro Nnamdi, is
reproduced verbatim as follows:
"In view of the above findings, the following
suggestions are proffered. Since investigation
into the case is still on, it is wise to nose
around for more information that may reveal
the REAL KILLERS of Hon. (Engr.), Albert
Ukpanah, AS THE KILLING MIGHT BE
POLITICALLY MOTIVATED ASSASSINS.
Above report is for your consideration and
further directive, please" (emphasis ours).


Signed:
Comr. Inibehe Effiong (Convener, Coalition of
Human Rights Defenders)
inibehe.effiong @gmail.com
08065142135.



Barr. Uduak Ukpanah ( Eldest daughter of the
deceased, for the Late Engr Albert Jimmy
Ukpanah's family)
uduak.ukpanah@g mail.com
08023892633.