SAN FRANCISCO, July 07, (THEWILL) – A Third Republic Senator in Cross River State, Patrick Ani, was on Wednesday evening abducted by unknown gunmen.
THEWILL gathered that Ani, who represented Cross River South Senatorial District on the platform of the defunct National Republican Convention (NRC) between 1991 and 1992, was kidnapped in his farm in Akpabuyo near Calabar.
Ani, the younger brother of former Nigeria’s finance Minister, Anthony Ani, was allegedly abducted without any resistance by gunmen suspected to be militants that have been terrorising the southern part of the state.
Ani was also the author of the “Fourth Force,” a discourse on current issues in Nigerian politics and nation-building, which appeared as advertorial on several national newspapers.
Though the police in the state has not commented on the abduction, a staff in the farm the incident under anonymity adding that a team of policemen have visited the farm and interviewed the workers on the matter.
Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) in the state, Irene Ugbo, has promised to issue a statement.
Meanwhile, the State Governor, Ben Ayade, has revealed that an executive Bill would be sent to the Cross River House of Assembly for a law to establish the Cross River State Homeland Security Services.
He disclosed that the secret service unit of the Homeland Security service will focus more on intelligence gathering in a digital nature, including satellite gathering which is expected to get some institutional approval from the federal government.
“It is our hope and strong conviction that this is the way to go in the face of the challenging tension we have in the Niger Delta,” he said while receiving the French Consul-General, Laurent Polonceaux and his entourage on a courtesy visit in his private residence in Calabar.
Ayade added that the envisaged Homeland Security is expected to provide 3000 jobs for Cross Riverians and would be providing intelligence data and services to Police, but will be a non-arm bearing agency.
Story by David Oputah
