Metro

Gunmen abduct Akwa Ibom businesswoman inside shopping mall

A business woman in Eket, Akwa Ibom State, Mrs Uduak Akpan has been reportedly abducted by yet to be identified gunmen and taken to an unknown destination.

Uduak Akpan, the wife of a popular businessman and owner of Umaco Shopping center, Mr. Umana Akpan, according to the report was whisked away by heavily armed men, numbering about five, while attending to customers in the shopping mall.

According to eyewitness accounts, the incident happened at JamesTown Junction in Ata-Idung Afaha Eket, where the mall is located, at about 9p.m on Good Friday, April 7th.

The eyewitness explained that the victim was abducted in the presence of her husband who was rather helpless adding that the gunmen shot sporadically into the air in order to scare people while escaping with the victim.

Our Correspondent also gathered that the gunmen had earlier attacked Mr Akpan’s residence in 2022 and carted away cash running into millions of naira and a bus which is yet to be recovered.

A visit to the popular Umaco Shopping Center shows that the shop has been under lock and keys since Friday even as the abductors are yet to establish contact with the family of the victim for ransom or anything.

Attempts to reach the husband of the victim proved abortive as he declined comment to the press but a family member told our correspondent in confident that the abductors are yet to establish contact with the family.

Reacting to the incident, the State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Odiko MacDon said he was yet to received any reports from the Ikot Udota Police Division.

“I have not seen or heard such information, I don’t know if they have reported the matter to the command, I can’t comments because I don’t have any information on that,” MacDon responded.

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