• Police restore peace to Cross River community after serial killings

Peace has returned to the Abanyama community in the Creek Town area of Odupani Local Government Area of Cross River State. Until the arrest of 49-year-old Akaniyene Ignatius by operatives of the state police command, many residents had deserted the community following the gruesome killing of two prominent elders in similar fashion.

It all started with the death of one of the elders of Abanyama, 75-year-old Oko Okon, in his house, with no traces to the perpetrator of the murder. Residents of the riverine community had yet to recover from the shock of the killing when another elder, 73-year-old Okon Akpan, was also killed in a violent manner.

The death of the two prominent elders created panic in the community, forcing many residents to abandon their homes and farm settlements for the fear of death, wondering who might be the next target.

Although the suspect claimed to be remorseful over his actions, he insisted that he killed the two elders to avenge the deaths of his parents and brother, who died over 25 years ago in what he described as a communal attack against his family.

A source at the Cross River State Police Command, Criminal Investigations Department (SCID) who pleaded anonymity while speaking on the arrest of the suspect, said: “It started on the 24th of May, 2026, when he went to the house of Oko Okon in Bayanma, Creektown, where he met the man sleeping.

“He strangled the 75-year-old Okon, who lived alone in his house. He not only killed him but also beheaded him and dumped his corpse along the bush part behind the late man’s house.”

The police source added that he, thereafter, took the severed head to his own late father’s house in the same Abanyama, in a farm settlement, and buried the head in a shallow grave.

The source continued: “Also, on the 25th of May, the following day, he went to the home of another elder, Okon Akpan, 73, in the same Abanyama community. He entered through the backyard and met the deceased old man in front of his house by 5:20am. He held him from behind and strangled him to death.

“He later moved Okon’s body to his late father’s farm settlement. He dismembered the body and buried the parts in different shallow graves.

“It was after the headless body was found that the community traced the killing to him.”

Operatives of the homicide section arrested the suspect while trying to sell a mattress, which he took from the home of Okon Akpan. Members of the community had earlier identified him as the person who was seen in possession of the deceased man’s mattress.

After his arrest, Akaniyene took police detectives to the different shallow graves, from where the different body parts were exhumed and deposited at the Creek Town General Hospital.

According to the police source, “He confessed to the crime and said that the motive was based on the fact that his parents and brother were killed by the same elders of the community.”

During interrogation, Akaniyene said: “I am a farmer and I am 49 years old. I killed the two elders because they were among the people who were responsible for the death of my brother and my parents in 1999. We are from Akwa Ibom State but my parents had been in Cross Rivers for a long time. I was even born in Bayanma.

“It started when I was still very young. It all started with a fight between my late father and one of my brothers, Kokoete. Another of my brothers, Ekperite, also joined the fight against my father. My two brothers were always violent against my father and my mother was very worried and concerned.

“Kokoete was a very wayward child. He was very lazy and didn’t like to do anything at home. My father was always complaining about his attitude. One day, after my mother finished cooking and was about to dish out our meal, Kokoete fought with my father.

“It was the custom for my mother to always serve my father before the children. But on that particular day, Kokoete insisted that my mother must put his own portion first, before that of my father. As my mother was trying to fill my father’s plate, he became violent and a fight ensued between him and my father.”

He further narrated that their father reported the matter to the elders of the community: “The elders had before then been complaining about my brothers, Kokoete and Ekperite. My father told the then village head to organise and kill my two brothers, because of their bad character and attitude.

“The community had intervened in their fight with my father more than 10 times before he reported the last time. The community mobilised and they were arrested and handed over to the police.

“They were arraigned in court and the two of them were sent to prison. When they were released from prison and returned to the community, the police visited our community and settled everything. They believed that everything was over.”

According to the suspect, surprisingly, the community mobilised again and attacked Ekperite. They shot him and used a machete to inflict cuts on his body. My other brother, Kokoete, escaped to Lagos for fear of being killed.

“After the death of Ekperite, my mother was so traumatised that she became very sick and didn’t survive the agony of the death of his son. My father died about one year after his wife. He couldn’t bear the agony of losing his son and wife within a short time frame.

“I was left alone in the village and I vowed to avenge the death of my parents and brother, which I eventually did. I regret doing so now. It was anger that pushed me to avenge their deaths.”

The spokesperson of the state police command, ASP Eitokpah Sunday, in his reaction to the arrest of the suspect, said: “The unfortunate news of the alleged serial killer case in Odukpani community quickly spread like wildfire, with sources alleging that over 30 bodies were involved in this gruesome act.

“Our immediate concern is to ensure a thorough, professional and impartial investigation into the alleged incidents in Creek Town.”

He added that, “While the suspect is in custody and has made certain statements during interrogation, these remain subject to verification. The matter is under active investigation. We urge the public to remain calm, avoid speculation and allow investigators to do their work. Further developments will be communicated.” (The Sun)

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