APC chieftain in A-Ibom machetes Gov’s Aide

By Chioma Onuegbu, Uyo

A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, APC in Akwa Ibom state identified as honourable Emah Bassey on Sunday attacked the Senior Special Assistant to Governor Udom Emmanuel, Mr. Amanam Nkanga, giving him machete cuts on both hands and head.

Amanam Nkanga is a younger brother to former military Governor of Akwa Ibom state and national Chairman of Pan Niger Delta Forum, PANDEF, Air Commodore Idongesit Nkanga.

Vanguard gathered that Amanam Nkanga and two other victims were attacked about 6:00pm in Nkanga’s hometown Ikot Nya (ward 4), in Nsit Ibom local government area on their arrival at a meeting they were invited to attend.

Sources from the area said the two term House former Representatives member , Emah Bassey who hails from ward1 Afaha Offiong village, where the local government headquarters is located had stormed a rally organized by his party APC with truck load of thugs bearing different weapons.

When Vanguard contacted Air commodore Nkanga on Monday he confirmed the attack saying that his findings indicates that the attack was planned and that he was actually their target and not his brother.

“What happened is that they are trying to force people to declare for the APC. I learned that they used one PDP woman by first name Ndiyanna to invite PDP people who there was going to be a meeting that evening. But when some PDP members got there including my brother and the woman started talking about defection , I think that was how the disagreement started.

“I was told that the Emah Bassey came out with a machete himself and cut my brother on both hands, and also gave him a bigger cut on the head. In fact they said Bassey it was me (Idongesit Nkanga) he was waiting for, so I think it was something they had planned to carry out”, he said.

The PDP chieftain, Nkanga further explained that his younger brother had been unconscious since he was rushed to a hospital where he is currently receiving treatment for the serious injuries sustained from the machete cuts.

Similarly an eyewitness said what surprises him was that the DPO of the area identified as John Umo was at the scene of the incident and the incident occurred very close distant to a police station

The eyewitness added, “On the arrival of Nkanga and other PDP members from Ikot Nya to the meeting, Emah Bassey, a former two term member of the House of Representatives stormed the venue with a truck load of their supporters and Bassey personally brought out his long machete and cut the head of the Governor’s aide, and the hands.

” And I don’t think that anybody was arrested immediately, but the DPO was around when the incident happened. And also a police station was not far from the area. Maybe it is because it was a Sunday”

It was gathered that two other victims of the attack were also given, deep machete cuts on their hands and faces.

However when newsmen contacted the Police Public Relations Officer, DSP, Odiko MacDon over the incident, he simply said that the police were yet to receive report on it.