Uche Amunike
The Akwa Ibom State Command of the Nigerian Police Force has cleared the air on the misconception that Uduak Akpan, the suspected killer of Iniobong Umoren, a job-seeking graduate in Akwa Ibom has been transferred to the Department of State Service, (DSS).
Speaking during a Media Chat, Monday in Uyo, the Command’s Public Relations Officer, Odiko MacDon said that Akpan’s case file was at the Directorate of Public Prosecutions, (DPP) and the suspect remanded in the State Correctional Centre.
He opined that it would amount to sheer folly for the police to hands-off the case after going through the hurdles of arresting the suspect under 24 hours of allegedly perpetrating the crime, exhuming the victim’s corpse and subjecting the same for autopsy, adding that the Command had enough evidence to prosecute Uduak Akpan, while wondering why some people assumed the police have backed out of the case.
He stated that it was only the police force that was empowered by law to handle such cases which made it foolhardy for them to abdicate that responsibility.
Hear him: ‘What we have now is enough to prosecute and secure conviction. Only the police are empowered by law to handle such cases. So why should we transfer the case to DSS?’ He queried.
‘The main thing is that we apprehended the suspect. He was remanded in prison alongside other suspects. We have transferred the case file to DPP and we are waiting for advice,’ he added.
The PPRO said, ‘I read that we have handed over the case to DSS, no! The Police cannot handover a case file to DSS for prosecution, it is not possible. Police is the lead agency in internal security.
‘Autopsy on the corpse of Iniobong Umoren has been conducted, the result is out, we now have what it takes to nail Frank. It was very painful for people to say the police didn’t do a nice job’.
‘There are some cases that when it happens, they must still be sent down to the police for prosecution. It is only the police that can enforce any law in this country. Some specialized agencies cannot enforce any law that does not fall within their purview’.
‘We worked with the DPP to get him remanded in the Nigeria Correctional Service even before the court resumed. He will be arraigned.
‘Let me assure you that the Command will leave no stone unturned in ensuring that his case is prosecuted logically because we have carried out the autopsy and have the result. We have him in custody, we have the legal team ready, and we have a robust relationship with the justice department because we are all Ministers in the temple of justice.’
Recall that Iniobong Umoren, a graduate of the University of Akwa Ibom was lured to the suspect’s house in the guise of attending a job interview, only to be raped, killed and buried in a shallow grave by the 20yr old Akpan.
The suspect, Akpan Uduak confessed under interrogation to the police that he killed Uduak by hitting her with a pressing iron, then with a stabilizer, before leaving her to bleed to death and buried her in a shallow grave in his father’s compound.
He also confessed that he has used such fake job employment schemes on 6 other girls.
His father, Frank Akpan, when invited for questioning at the Police station, washed his hands off his son’s conduct, saying that he should face the full wrath of the law, even if it meant a death penalty, admitting that he had two daughters and will not be happy if anybody did that to his daughters.
He expressed shock that his son was involved in such a heinous crime saying that he brought him up, the righteous way.
