Pascal Oparada
Nigerians have called on the Inspector-General of Police, Alkali Baba to transfer to Abuja and probe the Akwa Ibom State police command over the death of Hiny Umoren, who was murdered after she went job hunting.
The calls came after a new investigation by David Hundeyin, an investigative journalist revealed that the Police in Akwa Ibom State were either complicit or derelict in their duty of thoroughly investigating Umoren’s murder.
The investigation showed that the murderer, Frank Uduak Akpan, had powerful persons in the ministry of Niger Delta and the Akwa Ibom State police who provided him cover as he carried out his heinous acts.
Phone records obtained from phone companies showed that Akpan had contacted those people including one SP Samuel Ezeugo, who arrested him before and after murdering Umoren on April 29.
According to the findings, the murder has an undertone of either ritual killing by powerful politicians or organ harvesting syndicate in the state.
“In a sane society, after that David Hundeyin investigation, the IGP would’ve queried the Akwa Ibom CP by now. The CP would’ve sacked the policeman in that unholy alliance with the killer-kidnapper. CSOs would be drafting petitions, the gov would be fuming,
But… this is Nigeria,” Fiyaso Soyombo, a journalist said.
“David Hundeyin has vindicated my view that roadblock policing is the product of backward thinking and ineffective. If a private individual, working alone could dig this deep to unravel the finer details of a heinous murder case, why can’t the police?” Odogwu said on Twitter.
“In a sane country, that David Hundeyin’s article would’ve been swiftly followed up with a series of arrests and probes. I’ve not given up hope though,” Badilocks said.
Umoren was murdered after being lured by Akpan to come work as a Secretary in a company in Uyo on April 29.
Her death sparked a social media hunt with the hashtag #FindHinyUmoren, which eventually led to the arrest of Akpan.
Nigerians have launched #JusticeForHinyUmoren on social media in order to bring her killer to justice.
