Bomb blast, gunshots injure three APC members in Uyo

...PDP responsible for the attack - APC Campaign Council, Youth Leader allege

An explosion and gunshots which rocked the campaign grounds of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, on Tuesday night, have left at least three persons injured.

The incident which occurred at about 7:30 pm was reportedly perpetrated by gunmen who arrived in a car, threw dynamite into the premises before opening fire on hapless members and supporters of the APC.

It was gathered that a training programme for APC agents for Saturday's Governorship and House of Assembly elections was one of the activities which took place at the campaign grounds when the attackers struck.

Copious blood stains dotted the premises after the incident which left many in awe.

Eyewitnesses said the attackers arrived in a commando style and sped off before security operatives at the premises could return fire.

When newsmen visited the victims in hospital, two of them were in critical condition.

The third victim, Mrs. Uduak Sunday, from Uyo, sustained a wound on her right leg.

She told newsmen that she had left the premises to purchase an item and that upon returning, she saw the attackers throwing an object (later discovered to be dynamite) into the campaign grounds, before shooting indiscriminately.

According to her, in the ensuing bedlam, she was trampled upon by the fleeing crowd.

"I fell down, and the next thing is that I found myself here in hospital", she added.

One of the victims, Mr. Ndifreke Akpan, from Nsit Atai Local Government Area, who lay unconscious at the hospital, was to serve as APC agent during the polls on Saturday.

Doctors did not reveal the identity of the last victim as they were reportedly battling to extract a bullet from his body.

An eyewitness, Mr. Nsikak Etim Okon, while speaking with journalists in hospital, said he accompanied police officers that brought victims to the hospital.

Okon, who hails from Nsit Atai, said the victims were first taken to Saint Luke's Hospital Anua.

He added that Ndifreke Akpan, who was shot in the leg, is a committed member of the APC.

Reacting to the attack, the APC Campaign Council in Akwa Ibom, in a statement signed by its Spokesperson, Hon. Eseme Eyiboh, described the attack as "another desperate attempt by the Peoples Democratic Party, its thugs and militant groups that have swarmed the state since the commencement of elections in February to cause large scale violence, capable of preventing the March 9, 2019 from holding."

Part of the statement read:
"This is another in the series of cowardly attempts at intimidating and cowing our party, the APC, and its supporters in the build up to the March 9, 2019 governorship election in the state. Some months ago, unknown gunmen fired shots into the bedroom of the APC governorship candidate, Obong Nsima Ekere, at his Ewet Housing Estate residence, with his family members narrowly escaping the attack.

"The attack at the campaign office is a confirmation of earlier intelligence received by our party of the likely attempt by the PDP to truncate the March 9, 2019 governorship polls in the state. Intelligence at our disposal indicates that faced with imminent defeat at the polls, Gov. Emmanuel and the PDP have decided to disrupt the polls in Akwa Ibom state if they are prevented from carrying out another wholesale electoral robbery like the one they perpetrated during the presidential and National Assembly elections in collusion with the Independent National Electoral Commission.

"We maintain that no desperation for an undeserved second term is worth the blood of any Akwa Ibom citizen. This fear-induced wickedness must cease. Gov. Udom Emmanuel should know by now that the majority of Akwa Ibom voters have rejected him for his poor philosophy of governance and lacklustre performance in office and no vote buying, no bombs, no shootings and no criminal collusion with INEC can save him from an excruciating defeat come March 9, 2019."

The APC campaign council while appealing to "law enforcement agencies to comb the state, root out all the criminal thugs the PDP has infested the state with and ensure that our people are allowed to freely cast their votes", warned that "our party will not fold  her arms and allow the PDP wreak havoc on the state."


"The APC Campaign Council, hereby urge all APC supporters and Akwa Ibom voters to remain calm and vigilant, as we are confident that the security agencies will be decisive in ensuring that perpetrators of this violent act will be apprehended and made to face the full weight of the law", the release further noted.

On his part, the Youth Leader of the APC in Akwa Ibom State, Mr. Stephen Ntukekpo, alleged that he was the prime target of the attackers.

His words: "...I got a vital information that my life was simply at risk. To be precise, somebody gave me an information that an SA to the Governor on Security Matters was actually saying that on or before Wednesday this week, that I would be trailed and probably mowed down by a gunman or gunmen as the case may be. This is a political season. I didn't take that issue lightl. I had to fortify myself with security personnel...."

 "This evening, I had an official meeting at the campaign grounds. It wasn't up to two minutes when I drove into the campaign grounds, that we suddenly heard a loud bang - most likely to be a bomb. There was shooting everywhere, people were scampering for their lives, some were scaling the  fence. There was indeed serious pandemonium."

Ntuekpo continued: "It was a clear indication that I was being trailed, but I want to say that no man born of a woman will ever snuff life out of me because I believe that in Akwa Ibom, it is high time we changed what is on ground in terms of governance because it not good enough for Akwa Ibom people."

He frowned at what he labelled as attempts to intimidate the APC by PDP in the state.


The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) of the Akwa Ibom State Police Command, Mr. Odiko MacDonald, could not be reached for an update on the issue as his phone line was not connecting. He did not reply text messages sent to his phone line by our reporter.

Culled from *The Orbit*