By Tony Nyong
While nominations for the state Assembly elections are going on in all the local government areas of Akwa Ibom State, Mr Ekong Sampson, representing Mkpat Enin in the state House of Assembly, Mkpat Enin council boss, Mr. Mfon Nkantion, Council Secretary, Mr. Ubong Inyang,  Mr Imowo Udobia, all aspirants in the state House of Assembly election and others are currently cooling off in Police net.

Their arrest was in connection with the alleged  murder of Dr. Joseph Akpanakpudo, a politician,  who was killed on New Year’s eve, by some suspected assassins at about 11:30 p.m. while he was returning home.

Akpanakpudo, a medical doctor, worked at St. Luke’s Hospital, Anua in Uyo, the state capital, before he was gunned down by two assassins who escaped in a motor bike.

While the corpse had been deposited at the mortuary of the hospital in Anua, the police might have got useful information that led to his killing, hence the arrest of the politicians.

Akpanakpudo in 2007 was a consensus candidate in the chairmanship race, but could not become the chairman because of the understanding reached in the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, by the political gladiators at the state level.

While there were rumours that a special crack team of the state Police Force may have swooped on the alleged killers and discovered about N2 million in their possession, the state Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, when contacted on phone, said he could not speak because investigations were on and that the Command was busy running around to a ensure hitch-free nomination process in the state.

An impeccable source, however, told Vanguard that no matter how highly placed anybody connected to the assassination would be invited and those found guilty would be brought to book as the Police would do everything to uncover killers of the young doctor.