The National Vice Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC, South-south Zone, Ntufam Hilliard Eta, has decried the rate at which members of the party are being kidnapped in Cross River State.
The APC chieftain also alleged that there were indications that a hit squad would soon be established in the state to target critics of the state government.
Eta, who raised the alarm at a news conference in Calabar, the state capital yesterday, alleged that some powerful forces were behind the increased spate of crime in the state.
He specifically mentioned the kidnappings of some APC members, including Sir Patrick Ani, Chief Ededem Ita Edem, a former aide to ex-governor Donald Duke and Mr Patrick Obasse as some of the high profile crimes targeting chieftains of the party in recent times.
He, however, threatened that “If they kill or kidnap any of our members, we shall kill two (of their members)”.
Eta said that he could be next target for the kidnappers, whose backers, he alleged, felt threatened by the rising profile of the APC in the state.
“All the antics displayed by governor Ayade is to ensure the annihilation of APC members in the state who have been critical of his poor style of governance”, he alleged.
“He is trying to pave way for actualisation of his second term ambition which, we are certain, will not happen.
“Indeed, what started as the kidnap of a mix of APC and PDP chieftains, is actually a smokescreen aimed to dislodge eventual doubts and speculations about the involvement of Cross River State Government”.
In his reaction, Gov. Ayade urged opponents of his government to join hands with him in fighting crime in the state.
