By: Our Reporter, Calabar
Pandemonium ensured in Iyamoyong, Obubra Local government area where the Council Chairman, Hon. Kingsley Arikpo, narrowly escaped death by a whisker as suspected gang stars ambush and attacked him and members of his entourage on Tuesday.
The Chairman who had visited Ogurude and quarry site at Eja, in Osopong 1, earlier in the day, decided to conclude his routine inspection at Iyamitet alongside his Aides including the Special Adviser on Peace and Security, Hon Frank Iyamba and the Supervisor for Due process Mr Sunday Ayang, where confronted with a strange barricade mounted by the assailants on their return at Iyamoyong axis of Iyamitet road.
The Patriotnews gathered that the leader of the assailants whose name was given as Wisdom, an artisan has earlier alleged a sudden push away from his track by an unknown rider in Chairman’s entourage while navigating their way to Iyamite.
An eyewitness account from a biker who preferred not to be named in print, intimated that Wisdom who incidentally is a son to the Head Chief of Iyamoyong (name withheld),whose reaction to the incident, ordered the blockade of Iyamitet road to fish out the suspected biker in the entourage of the Chairman.
The story line continued that the event of the Chairman’s intervention to secure the release of one of the motorcycles hired by him for the day met strange and stout opposition from the group of boys who rose to the occasion in support of wisdom.
The Chairman’s presence at the palace to initiate peaceful negotiations to secure the release of the bike was given a different interpretation to embarrass him.
Meanwhile, many Iyamoyong indigenes have dissociated themselves from the episode as opinion leaders and youths of Obubra Urban, Ofumbongha/Yala and Osopong in Obubra 1 State Constituency as well as their counterpart of Adun Kingdom in Obubra 2 Constituency have condemned the attack on the Chairman in strong terms, urging “the people not to treat the office of the executive Chairman with contempt”.
It was also reported that six tippers and the filling station of the Chairman were vandalized by the gang.
Furthermore, ” the residence of the Deputy Leader of Obubra Legislature Hon Akamba, at Iyamoyong was not spared during the assault.
