ETIM EFFIONG
A traditional doctor in Akwa Ibom State, Okuku Utom Ekpat has accused Senator Ibok Essien of sponsoring hoodlums to consistently threaten his life.
Ekpat alleged that he is no longer a free citizen as he was constantly being trailed by hoodlums who chased him from his residence at Ikot Abia-Idem village in Ikot Ekpene Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State.
Senator Ibok Essien represented Akwa Ibom North West Senatorial District in the 4th assembly, between 1999-2003.
Speaking through his counsel, Aniedi Abotti, on Wednesday in Ikot Ekpene LGA, Ekpat stated that the senator’s ‘boys’ had invaded his residence and destroyed his property in the village, forcing him to relocate to his hometown, Ini LGA.
According to him, Essien’s assailants also traced him to his own community in Obot Akara LGA, where he alleged that they destroyed his house under false allegations that he is a murderer and has a shrine which he uses to hypnotise unsuspecting members of the public.
Ekpat, however, denied owning a shrine, stating that the community’s investigation found the claim to be false, as he has a prayer house.
“My client is a responsible citizen living in Ikot Abia-Idem village in Ikot Ekpene. He is not from there, but he resides there, and that is where he is doing his trade (Traditional Doctor).
“He has been there until last year when Senator Ibok Essien decided to pursue him, but when we got into the fact, we discovered that he (the Sensor) is doing it for selfish point of view; he is interested in acquiring all the land in Ukana area of Ikot Abia-Idem,” he stated.
Reacting, Senator Ibok Essien, Proprietor of Ritman University, Ikot Ekpene, who denied the accusation, described the traditional doctor as a fraudster and a kidnapper.
Essien advised the traditional doctor to go and answer his case with the police rather than going about telling people that he is chasing him.
“I don’t have a land issue with any traditional doctor. He is a 419 person and a fraudster, who came to buy land and live in my village. He built a shrine in the village and the villagers said he should come and remove it.
“That is the village I have lived in for 65 years of my life, and somebody came and bought land two years ago, built a shrine on the road that I opened and now coming to say that I am chasing after him?
“He is an armed robber; in my village, there has never been any case of kidnapping before he came and lived there, but today they kidnapped two children and one was found in the compound next to his, and the other one has not been found till today.
“He went and stole somebody’s tank; the case is with the police. He uses dud cheque to deceive people. Instead of going to the police to answer his case, he is saying that I am chasing him. If I chase him will stand?
“I am not the person pursuing him, it’s the law enforcement agency that pursuing him,” the senator said.