Gunmen abduct two-year-old girl in Akwa Ibom

Three unidentified gunmen have abducted a two-year-old girl, Miss Patience Essiet, in Ukat Ubium, Nsit Ubium Local Government Area, Akwa Ibom State.

The mother of the abducted girl, Ms Affiong Tommy, 20, said the gunmen broke into the room through the back door around 4am on Wednesday.

She said the gunmen first broke into her brother’s room, kicked him and asked him to lie still. She added that they threatened to shoot him if he tried to shout or run away.

Tommy explained that two of the gunmen left her brother’s room and went into her room, where her daughter and mother were sleeping.

She said the gunmen, claimed to be police officials, who had been sent by their Divisional Police Officer to conduct a drug search in their house.

She said “They broke our backdoor open with axe. They were three, brandishing guns, machetes and axes. They first entered my brother’s room; we thought they were thieves. They beat him up and asked him to lie still as they threatened to shoot him if he tried to run away or shout.

“Two came into our room. Immediately they saw my baby, they grabbed her. I tried to struggle with them to rescue my baby, they hit me with their machetes. They also pointed guns at our foreheads as we fell to the floor. I saw my baby being taken away, but I was helpless to do anything.

“They claimed to be police officers, but why did they break our backdoor open at the ungodly hour of 4am? Where have they gone with my child? Let them not kill my child.”

According to Tommy, the gunmen did not take anything from the house, adding that they came for her baby.

Tommy’ sister, Mrs. Iquo Bassey, said she received a call from her sister about the child’s abduction, adding that the family was working to secure the baby’s release.

When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer, Akwa Ibom State Command, Mr. Etim Dickson, asked our correspondent to send him a text message so that he could make contact with the DPO at Nsit Ubium Police Station. But he had yet to respond as of press time.