Okon Bassey in Uyo
Suspected cultists have killed the youth President of Inen clan of Oruk Anam Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State, Hezekiah John Adaiden, and escaped with his severed head.
The incident was said to have occurred by 1 a.m. last Sunday when the cultists known by the deceased visited him.
The deceased was said have entertained them as friends with drinks before another group came in and descended on the victim while they were still drinking.
An eyewitness, who pleaded anonymity, said the group caught the youth president, dragged him to a corner in his compound, beat him to coma and cut off his head leaving the headless body in the pool of his blood.
The hoodlums were said to have gone further to loot the house carting away valuables items and poured a pot of soup which the wife cooked on her head before they escaped with the head of her husband.
The source said: “Till now we cannot understand what happened. The cultists arrived in the compound at a very odd hour in the night, and since they were known by the youth president, he offered them drinks.
“While they were drinking at about 1 a.m., another well-armed group arrived in the scene and was very violent, as they dragged the victim to a corner and killed him.
“The most annoying part is that they beheaded him and escaped with his head after they have tortured the wife and poured the soup which the wife cooked on her head as they beat her mercilessly.”
However, the state Police Public Relations Officer, SP Odiko Macdon, has confirmed the incident.
He described the killing of the youth president as barbaric, stressing that the perpetrators cannot escaped unpunished.
Macdon said the state Commissioner of Police, Olatoye Durosinmi, has ordered the state Criminal and Investigation Department (CID) to commence investigations into the matter immediately.
According to him, “There is an ongoing manhunt in the area to arrest the perpetrators of such crime. However, normalcy has been restored in the area. There is peace in the area now.
“A special squad has-been drafted to the area to fish out the criminals. I can assure you that the suspects would be arrested and brought to book.”
