August 16, (THEWILL) – The Traditional Rulers Council of Old Netim Community in Akamkpa LGA, have tasked the state police Command to set free, the 25 youths of the community, who have been in detention for over a month.
The community has been in the news recently, following the arson on Late Martina Okey Itagbor by some youths in the community.
Martina Okey Itagbor, a mother of four was burnt to death by youths in Old Netim after being accused of witchcraft.
The unidentified perpetrators, who made a viral video of their deed, accused the woman of using witchcraft to cause a car accident, which claimed the lives of two youths.
Before her murder, Late Martina Itagbor was earlier accused by some elements in the community of inflicting illness on a certain youth in the community.
In the wake of the arson, the State Governor, Senator Prince Bassey Edet Otu, condemned Martina Okey’s murder and ordered the police authorities in the state to go after the perpetrators.
However, the action of the police authorities has not gone down well with the Traditional Rulers of the community.
The traditional rulers accused the police authorities of going after youths indiscriminately and turning the town from a commercial centre to a ghost town.
In a release from the Traditional Council of the Old-Netim Community, jointly signed by the Council Chairman and Clan Head, H.R.H. Ntufam Augustin Nyong Orok and the Secretary, Ntufam Linus Pius Mbey, they revealed that the Police carried out what they alleged as “indiscriminate arrest of youths in the community.”
The elders insisted that the murder was not carried out by the entire youths of the community.
They condemned the act of the murder in totality saying, “The faction of the youths who were against the development of the community performed the act so as to give bad image to the community.
“We used this medium to appeal to the Assistant Inspector General of Police Zone 6, Calabar and the State Commissioner of Police in Cross River command, to release the youths in their custody and go after the real perpetrators of the act who are now at large”, the elders said.
The royal fathers said under their watch, the community will continue to partner with Cross River State government to maintain peace which is the bedrock of development, arguing that innocent families are passing through hardship because of the incident and the situation.
They noted that the Old Netim community, which is the hub of business in Akamkpa LGA, Cross River state, has been known as peaceful community meant for business development, but it has been turned to a ghost of itself.
They also pledged their unalloyed loyalty and support to the state government under the leadership of Governor Bassey Otu.
The police authorities in the state did not respond to inquiries as at press time.
However, an official of the force said the State police commissioner “will be visiting Akamkpa Area Command Headquarters, Old Netim today (Wednesday 16th August 2023) on a familiarisation tour, the issue will definitely be raised”, he said.
THEWILL Correspondent, Aniekan Bassey has over six years experience that spans across several fields in print journalism including development communication, sexual reproductive and health rights issues, crime, climate change, social justice, business and human interest stories.
