December 16, (THEWILL) – A second republic lawmaker, Senator Ibok Essien, has debunked allegatons he is threatening one Okuku Utom Ekpat.
Essien cleared the air on the issue while speaking to select journalists in Uyo, the Akwa Ibom state capital. He described the herbalist as a fraudster and kidnapper who has a case with the law.
Ekpat had raised the alarm over what he described as a “consistent” threat to his life. He alleged that he is being trailed by assailants whom he said invaded and destroyed his residence and prayer house.
Ekpat who spoke through his lawyer, Barr. Aniedi Abotti, on Wednesday at a media briefing in Ikot Ekpene local government area of the state, alleged that his assailants were sponsored by Essien.
He said he left the area after the incident in his home. However, the alleged assailants came after him in his new location in Obot Akara LGA, where he alleged that they destroyed his house under false allegations that he is a murderer and that he has a shrine which he is using to hynoptise unsuspecting members of the public.
His lawyer, Abotti, said, “My client is a responsible citizen living in Ikot Abia-Idem village in Ikot Ekpene. He is not from there but he resides there, and that is where he is doing his trade.
“He has been there until last year, when Senator Ibok Essien decided to pursue him, but when we got into the fact, we discovered that he, the Senator, is doing it for selfish point of view: he is interested in acquiring all the land in Ukana area of Ikot Abia-Idem.”
In response, Senator Essien said: “I don’t have a land issue with any traditional doctor. He is a 419 person and a fraudster, who came to buy land and live in my village. He built a shrine in the village and the villagers said he should come and remove it. That is the village I have lived for 65-years of my life, and somebody came and bought land two years ago, built a shrine on the road that I opened and now coming to say that I am chasing after him.
“He is an armed robber; in my village there has never been any case of kidnapping before he came and lived there, but today they kidnapped two children and one was found in the compound next to his, and the other one has not been found till today.
“He went and stole somebody’s tank, the case is with the police. He uses dud cheque to deceive people. Instead of going to the police to answer his case, he is saying that I am chasing him, if I chase him will he stand?. I am not the person pursuing him, it’s the law enforcement agency that pursuing him.”
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