By Tony Nyong
Governor Godswill Akpabio, yesterday averted plans by members of Akwa Ibom State branch of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) to embark on a protest march in condemnation of the  gruesome murder of one of their own, Barrister Umoh Offiong Udonwa.

Barrister Udonwa, a popular politician from Ibesikpo Autan, was shot dead in broad daylight 13 October 2009, at his Mevo Filling Station while taking stock of sales for the day.

Akpabio, who through two of his commissioners, stopped the lawyers from carrying out the march through major streets of the state capital to protest the growing state of insecurity in the state, promised  to cut shot his London trip to be able to meet with the lawyers on the matter.

But the confusion which followed the sudden suspension of the protest, Vanguard gathered, may have created a serious rift within the association, as most of the lawyers have queried why government should now be jittery about the plan to  protest over the killing of their colleague who was rounding off his doctaorate programme in law before he met his untimely death.

The suspension of the protest was said to have been effected  by two government officials, Barrister Emmanuel Enoidem, Commissioner for Housing and Urban Renewal and Barrister Jerry Akpan, Special Adviser to the governor on Political and Legislative Affairs.

Sources said both aides of the governor persuaded the NBA to drop the plan with some juicy promises.
Although Barrister Jerry Akpan had told the Bar members that he had attended the planning committee meeting of the deceased with a promise that government was going to be largely involved in the burial, the apparent intervention of the state government is said to fuel speculations among lawyers that the government was behind some bad activities in the state.

Mrs. Lucy Udonwa, wife of the deceased and a teacher in Uyo High School, said she was not aware that the husband had any political ambition that would culminate in his murder, but noted that he was handling a case for one of his client and that his killers also made away with some money after he was gunned down.

Governor Akpabio had, during a press briefing with journalists in the state, expressed concern over rampant killings in the state, indicating plans by government to stop the operation of Okada in the metropolis.

According to him, most of the killings seem to have been carried out by motorcycle riders.