By CrossRiverWatch Admin
CrossRiverWatch has obtained pictures of the botched arrest of the Obol Lopon of Ugep, Obol Ofem Ubana Tuesday morning after men of the Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad (FSARS) from Force Headquarters Abuja decided against taking him in immediately for questioning following pressure from Ugep youths.
CrossRiverWatch had earlier reported that Obol Ofem was arrested but information reaching our newsroom now shows that he was later released when the FSARS unit discovered that they could not contain or maneuver through the large crowd that had gathered to protest the attempted arrest of Obol Ofem over the recent gangstar wars in the community.
“The youths had said that it has never been heard in the history of Ugep that the Obol Lopon has been arrested and therefore he will not go to Abuja with them,” Correspondent Bassey Bassey told CrossRiverWatch newsroom on phone.
A member of the Obol Ofem’s cabinet referred to as Umor Otutu had come out to address the youths and assured them that he was not being arrested anymore, but invited to appear before the Police for questioning on Monday, July 31, 2017.
The botched arrest follows a petition by the Special Assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari on Prosecution, Mr. Okoi Obono-Obla over the death of his nephew, Mr. Jude Iroegbu who was murdered in a gang war that saw him list over 20 names as the killers and accomplices.
The suspected killer CrossRiverWatch gathered was arrested Monday in Akwa Ibom state in a bank.
The botched arrest has sparked outrage but our correspondent reports that calm has returned to the town.
An elder statesman from Ugep who spoke with CrossRiverWatch on the phone this evening said “I am deeply troubled about what Ugep is turning to. That the Police will even attempt to arrest the Paramount Ruler of Umor Otutu is an indication of how the pride, awe and aura of the Obol Lopon throne has been degraded lately. Those who are in charge of the palace should see this as a clear sign of their failure of leadership. I don’t want to be named for obvious reasons but I want my message out there.
“If not for the presence of the youths and the reluctance of the Police to incur casualty, the Obol Lopon was meant to be taken away and would have been taken away. They police were prepared to. That is what they came for. It is only the youths that saved the situation. It’s an indictment on the new leadership in our palace and every proud Ugep child should be concerned.”
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