Tony Anichebe, Uyo Angry youths of Akon-Itam community in Itu Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State have persisted in their protests over the killing of a couple on the Calabar-Itu Highway allegedly by a convoy of vehicles ferrying the senator representing Akwa Ibom South, senatorial district, Mrs. Akon Eyakenyi, back to Uyo, the state capital from her campaign tour.
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Senator Iyakenyi, is the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) deputy governorship candidate and running mate to Pastor Umo Eno, the party’ standard-bearer in the upcoming polls in 2023. Speaking to journalists, one of the distraught youths, Comrade Utibe Inyang, explained that the convoy rammed into the couple on a motorcycle, while trying to navigate the ever busy highway connecting the neighbouring Calabar, Cross River State.
He maintained that what further fuelled the anger of the people stemmed from the poor handling of the compensation package of a paltry N2 million the Senator gave to the family to quell the case. “The husband and wife killed by her convoy died and left behind three young children, so the pains we are still feeling now is because of the disdainful attitude demonstrated by the Deputy Governorship candidate without considering how these young orphans would be trained and developed without their parents,” he explained.
It was gathered that some officials of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), called to manage traffic at the scene were injured and their patrol vehicle damaged by the local residents, but the Corps Commander in the state, Mathew Olonisaye, who spoke with our Correspondent, said “only our vehicle was vandalized,” adding that the situation had been brought under control and normalcy returned. Confirming the incident, the Commissioner of Police (CP), Mr. Olatoye Durosinmi, said calm has returned following fruitful negotiation for them to embrace peace, adding that but for timely intervention, the youths were on the verge of torching some vehicles in the convoy.
