Odudu Ukpanahs Detention: -AIbom youths plan mass protest -As family demands unconditional release -Mom is totally devastated- Uduak Ukpanah BY EDIDIONG UDOBIA It is more than seven months since the unjustifiable arrest of Odudu Ukpanah, son to late Chief Albert Ukpanah who was cruelly murdered on Wednesday, March 12, 2014, but the Ukpanahs family and the youths of Akwa Ibom have risen to the defense of Odudu, demanding his immediate and unconditional release. According to investigations, Odudus arrest was necessitated by the fact that he was the only one at home as as at time his father was murdered but seven months after his arrest, there has been no concrete evidence linking him to his fathers murder. According to a foremost human right activist in the state, Mr. Inibehe Effiong, There is absolutely no modicum of evidence, not even impliedly, establishing a nexus (link) between Odudu and the death of his father. It is just an audacious but shameless charade meant to cover the truth. Those listed as witnesses are basically neighbours who responded to the alarm raised by Odudu. One even said in court during his testimony that he did not know why he was in court but later recalled that he was summoned to testify because he had made a statement to the police; a statement that did not incriminate Odudu in any way. There are strong indications that if Odudu Ukpanah is not released within the soonest possible time, the overwhelming support and solidarity that has greeted the #ReleaseOduduUkpanah Campaign may culminate to a mass protest by Akwa Ibom youths. Already, some human right and youth activists have started calling on the youths of the state to identify with the campaign as a possible mass protest is underway, adding that the continuous detention of Odudu Ukpanah is a big blow to the youths of the state. Meanwhile, some members of the Ukpanahs family have continued to express their displeasure at the level of injustice meted on their family, demanding an unconditional release of Odudu and the arrest of the real killers of their father. In a recent interview, the elder sister to Odudu and a Lagos-based lawyer, Uduak Ukpanah recounted the ordeals the family has gone through since the murder of their father and the arrest of their brother, adding their mother is totally devastated. Pent up anger and the injustice meted to our family even after the gruesome murder of our father, as well as the present health conditions of our mum which continued to fail as a result of not seeing her only son for seven months after the burial of her husband. And also, our only brother’s ill health in prison. Mom is totally devastated. While commenting on the impact of the #ReleaseOduduUkpanah Campaign, Uduak said It’s been overwhelming. When we decided to start the campaign we didn’t know the response from people would generate such attention but the urge to shout out for help had become pertinent. The reach out from men and women from the media/blogs (both print and Internet) has been phenomenal. Our prayer and purpose of the campaign is for our brother to be released. We want out brother released. So therefore we need justice and will stand up for it. We will fight to the last for this anomaly to be corrected. The truth must be heard. What matters to us now is Odudu’s unconditional release, she said. Culled from Weekly Insight Newspaper
Posted on: Sat, 20 Dec 2014 06:33:55 +0000
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