FROM: JOE EFFIONG,UYO
Three policemen including a chief superintendent of police (CSP) have been confirmed dead while four others have been declared missing following an attack on them by hoodlums in Essiem Udim LGA of Akwa Ibom State.
Essie Udim, the home local government area of the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Sen Godswill Akpabio, has been in tumoil for some time now.
Daily Sun learned that the police and other security personnel have come under sever attacks in the area in the past weeks even as.property of the locals worth millions of naira have been destroyed.
 A press release by the Nigeria Police, Akwa Ibom Command, signed by the state PPRO,  Odiko McDon  on Wednesday and tagged “Unprovoked attacks on security officers” said of recent the security agenciea, especially, the police have come under persistent unprovoked attacks, leading to deaths and destruction of property, a trend which is totally absurd and unacceptable.”
The release said whereas the remote and immediate causes of these unprovoked attacks were unknown, a discreet investigation was however on the way to unravel same and seek lasting solution.
It admitted that on March 30,2021, one Ben Ajide (CSP), the Commander of the Command’s Quick Intervention Unit and two others were killed, while four others are still missing,  bringing the number of policemen feared dead to seven
 “The Commissioner of Police, CP Amiengheme  Andrew, is deeply saddened by the unprovoked attack on security personnel who were out maintaining the peace yesterday 30th March, 2021 which led to the demise of CSP Ben Ajide who was the Commander of the Command’s Quick Intervention Unit and two others, while four others are missing.
“The CP hereby deeply condoles with the deceased families and wish to assure same and members of the public that the Command under his watch will not be deterred in carrying out its assigned constitutional mandate and will do all within its powers to bring perpetrators to book.
“The Police boss therefore calls on members of the public to volunteer useful information, he further assures that such information will be treated with utmost confidentiality, while urging all critical stakeholders to be united and form a formidable front in order to bring the menace to an end.” The release said.
And alarmed by the killing of police personnel, the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Akwa Ibom State Council, said it is worried by the spate of attacks on security personnel in Essien Udim LGA.
While underservedly condemning the attack, the Union in a statement signed by the state chairman and secretary, Comrades Amos Etuk and Dominic Akpan, respectively, said; “The attacks are retrogressive, barbaric, senseless and alien to the peaceful disposition of Akwa Ibom State.”
“We offer our sincere sympathy to the families of the security personnel who  lost their loved ones. To the injured, the Union prays for their quick recovery and urges the high command of all the security agencies to leave no stone unturned in their quest to fish out the perpetrators of the utterly odious crimes.” The Union said.
It asked Akwa Ibom State government not to relent in its high level collaboration with security agencies “in order to put out the fire on time.