Tension in Akwa Ibom State as Police arrest Udom Emmanuel’s aide, Ime Uwah

Some operatives of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad from Lagos, Monday night stormed Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State Capital with a search warrant that ordered them to search any discovered environment or premises owned or connected to Ime Uwah, the Special Assistant to Governor Udom Emmanuel on Marketing and Brand Management.

Governor Udom Emmanuel

The officers, who arrived Uyo in a Hiace bus with a Lagos registration number EY 527 KJA, were reportedly detailed to arrest the Governor’s aide over allegation that he owns a caravan where he stores ammunition and uniforms of various armed forces which he intends to use during the rerun election in Akwa Ibom. The officers claimed they were acting on an anonymous petition.

A source said that trouble, however, started when the officers searched Uwah’s most popular business centre, Eni Gardens, his residence and finally his farm along Akwa Ibom Airport Road, but refused to release the Governor’s aide, insisting he would be taken to Lagos to have his statement documented even when nothing was found.

According to our source, The question most people were asking then was why would you take a man of Uwah to Lagos in the night even when nothing incriminating was found around him. We wanted them to explain what they were up to, so we started making contacts until we got the State Police Commissioner to the scene of the arrest.

‘’ Upon arrival, the police boss began scolding the men and asking why they wanted to embarrass the state police command by coming for such an operation involving a high profile citizen without at least, reporting to him the real reason for their operation. The police boss immediately ordered them to follow him to his office at the Akwa Ibom Police Headquarters in Ikot Akpan Abia,’’ the source said.

Mr. Uwah was released after the police boss met with both parties in his office.

Meanwhile, supporters of the government were determined to stop the police from taking the Governor’s aide to anywhere outside the state. The development would have resulted to violence if not for the intervention of the Commissioner of Police.

Remember also that at the start of Udom’s administration, the Department of State Security, DSS, raided the Government House over the same allegation of weapons and ammunition but nothing was found. The outcome of the investigation is yet to be made public as nothing has been heard from the DSS since the raid.

Attempt to speak with Ime Uwah failed as our reporter was told to hold on as he would soon issue a statement on the matter.