Family members of a group of seventeen friends arrested by the Akwa Ibom State Police Command penultimate Friday have cried out that they were unlawfully arrested and should be released unconditionally.

The families said they were raising the alarm after hearing the State Police Public Relations Officer, Odiko Macdon, announce that the Command arrested 22 persons between 31 January and 2nd February, 2024 in connection with the penultimate Wednesday’s murder of Police Inspector Usang Egbe in Uyo.

Police Inspector Egbe a resident of Akan Bassey avenue, in Afaha Ube village, Uyo, the Akwa Ibom state capital, was gruesomely murdered by youths suspected to be cultists.

Those who spoke to Vanguard said the 17 arrested persons, bonded as “Friends Forum” had just returned from the funeral of the father of one of their members in Nsit Ibom Local Government Area (LGA) when they were arrested at a bar along Atiku Abubakar Way in Uyo.

Wife of one of the detained 17 friends, simply identified as Regina said, “My husband is one of the pioneer members of the organisation ‘Friends Forum’. And one of them lost his father so they went for the burial that day that they were arrested. “I can authoritatively tell you that he (Ekemini) is a gentleman from a good family background. I am not just saying this because he is my husband. “One of them is going to wed either this Saturday or next Saturday, So after they returned from that burial, they decided to stop over along Atiku road to sit down and plan how they would attend that wedding before policemen came and arrested all of them.

“As I am speaking with you my husband and his friends are still being detained at Police Headquarters at Ikot Akpanabia. Why are they keeping them in detention this long? Why have they (Police) not charged them?”

Another affected family member whose nephew was among those arrested alleged that the police are demanding that each of the 17 detainees should pay N20,000 as fee for bail.

He said, “I was told that these people (detainees) have even shown the police the burial programme of their member to convince them that they are not cultists. That young man works in a reputable hotel in Uyo. And in this hard times how are those families going to raise such an amount.

The State PPRO, Macdon was yet to respond to the protesting family’s claim. (Vanguard)

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