From Judex Okoro, Calabar
Tragedy struck the Ikot Offiong Ambai community in Akpabuyo Local Government Area of Cross River State, yesterday, as the body of one Miss Harmony Edemawan was recovered from the toilet in the early hours of Christmas day.
Edemawan was allegedly kidnapped, killed and dumped inside a septic tank by one Mr. Eyo Etim Bassey, who was said to be owing the deceased N1.2 million.
Police sources revealed that the Anti-Cultism and Kidnapping Squad (ACKS), a tactical unit of the Cross River State Police Command, while investigating a reported case of kidnapping, arrested one Eyo Etim Bassey, for allegedly masterminding the killing of Miss Harmony Edemawan, over a debt owed her by the suspect.
Harmony was said to have been kidnapped last Thursday, at her Ikot Offiong Ambai residence in Akpabuyo. However, based on credible intelligence and using undercover agents, Dragon Squad arrested the suspect, Mr. Eyo Etim Bassey, who allegedly abducted the victim, killed and dumped her body inside a septic tank. After much interrogation, the Dragon Squad mobilised and stormed the residence of the victim and found her lifeless body inside the septic tank and then took her to the morgue.
Confirming the incident, the Cross River State Commissioner of Police, Sule Balarabe, said the suspect was in their custody, in connection with the kidnap of a middle aged lady, whose remains was later discovered in a septic tank.
He said: “The suspect had earlier given false information that the victim sold his property amounting to about N9 million and didn’t want to remit the same amount to him.
“So he contacted some people to abduct her (Harmony ), in a bid to recover the money, but she was killed and dumped inside the septic tank.
“We have recovered her body from the septic tank and deposited it at the mortuary, and further investigation is ongoing to unravel the mystery and, also, arrest other accomplices involved.”
A family source told Daily Sun that the suspect, Etim Bassey, borrowed N1.2 million from the victim to boost his oil palm business earlier this year. Bassey is alleged to be dating the victim’s niece, a 200 Level UNICAL student. The victim was said to be a staff of Lafarge Company and was the bread winner of her family.
The source further said trouble started when Harmony demanded the loan repayment, to enable her return the money to the Osusu group she borrowed it from, and Bassey refused, claiming that he gave Harmony documents of landed property to sell, which she allegedly sold for N9 million and absconded with the proceeds.