Suspected hoodlums on Saturday, May 4, abducted a four month old baby in Enen-Atai village, Itu local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State.
Narrating his ordeal on Monday, the father of the abducted infant, Udeme Eyo, told our correspondent that the child was abducted at gunpoint in his residence at about 3:00 am.
He said, “I was half asleep when I heard the bang on the door, I jumped out of my bed but the door was pulled to the ground with force.
“Two strange men entered and demanded for my son. As a man I tried to stop them but they brought out guns and machetes, I shrugged.
“They seized the child from my wife who was screaming, kicked her aside and took away the baby. When I rushed out to raise alarm to alert my neighbors, I saw them zoom off in a car that was parked about a pole away.
“As I speak, my wife is completely traumatized. We lost our first child at about the same age and now that she was being consoled by the new baby boy, this has happened. I’m completely confused.”
The village head of the community, Prof Efanga Usua, who spoke on the development, expressed fear and disappointment, saying that such occurrence was strange in the area until recently when a mentally deranged woman was dispossessed of her baby by unknown bike men.
He said plans are underway to call a meeting of the East Itam Northern Traditional Rulers to find a lasting solution to such occurrences.
The Divisional Crime Officer (DCO), Ayadehe Police Station, Itu LGA, Bokime Bassey, when contacted, said the matter was reported since Saturday and the Police was not resting as investigation is ongoing to make sure the perpetrators are brought to book.
“Yes, we know about the issue, it was reported. We are on top of the situation. Even this morning we were in that village and we are making progress,” the DCO stated.
As at time of sending this report, efforts to speak with the State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) ASP Timfon John proved abortive as repeated calls to her mobile phone were not attended to.
