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| Ben Ayade |
Leaders of Bakassi Local Government Area of Cross River State have explained the reason why they think some suspected assassins wanted to kill Governor Ben Ayade’s Security Adviser for the Southern Senatorial District, Mr Ani Esin.
Some suspected assassins had stormed Esin’s home in Calabar on March 12 and attacked him with machete and other weapons.
The hoodlums attempted to abduct him before the police arrived to quell the attack.
The leaders, who met on Thursday to deliberate on the incident, said the assailants might have wanted to eliminate Esin, a former chairman of the local government area, because of his principled stand on issues that affect the people of Bakassi.
Reading a statement that was jointly signed by the leaders, a member of the state House of Assembly who represents the area, Dr Ekpo Ekpo, said, “We, as leaders of the Bakassi people, strongly condemn this gruesome attack and the criminal attempt to take the life of a community leader and public servant with a rich pedigree of public service and positive interventions for the cause of Bakassi and indeed the state.
“There is no doubt in our minds that this dastardly act was designed to silence Ani Esin for his principled stand for truth on issues concerning Bakassi and the politics of Cross River State.”
Also speaking at the event, one of the leaders, Dr Eneyo Eyo, said those behind the attack on Esin wanted to destabilise Bakassi.
“But they won’t succeed in disrupting the peace of the area,” he added.
The leaders called on security operatives to fish out those behind the attack and bring them to justice to deter others.
