A fresh female graduate of the Department of Philosophy, University of Uyo, Miss Iniobong Umoren who disappeared on Thursday, April 29, after she got a false job interview offer has been allegedly murdered by her abductor.
Umoren who was awaiting posting for the mandatory one year National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), took to her Twitter handle #HinyUmoren on 27th April to solicit for job offer.
She wrote, ”#AkwaIbomTwitter please I’m really in need of a job, something to do to keep mind and soul together while contributing dutifully to the organisation. My location is Uyo, I’m creative, really good in thinking ctitically and most importantly a fast learner. CV available on request. -27th April, 2021.”
Shortly after Umoren made the tweet, lot of job offers flooded in which she went after. Sadly, a user named Uduak Akpan had reached out to her with a job offer in Uyo. An offer that needed her to meet the supposed employer at airport junction, in an undisclosed location in outskirt of the state capital.
Report from her friend, @UmohUduak1 who raised a SOS alert after several attempt of reaching her failed, revealed Ini had communicated her from the time she left for the interview till the point she was about to meet her supposed employer.
According to screenshot shared by Ini’s friend, Ini was heard screaming in a Whatsapp voice note after which her phone went dead.
The SOS alert raised by @UmohUduak1 who resides in Lagos had triggered prompt action from kind-spirited Nigerians who explored all tech options with all the evidence, phone conversation, tweet, phone number and social media data of the supposed employer to track him.
Also, Nigerians had swung into action following the statement from the Police which suggested a wait for 48hours. Nigerians in Akwa Ibom State had launched a search party around the location where Ini went for the interview.
24 hours later, the search party began based on provided evidence, phone call tracks and GPS coordinates had led to the arrest of the employer’s father who was alleged to have been in the know of the son’s crime.
However, the arrest of Uduak’s father by the police opened up a link to the ‘others at large’ who were swiftly investigated.
The police intervention in the case did not deter Nigerians from exploring all tech tools to unmask the perpetrators who had deactivated all his social media accounts and after 24hours come out to deny the allegation of ever seeing Ini.
The arrest of another person fingered in the abduction of Ini gave Nigerians hope of her safe return. While hopes were building, Nigerians had taken to micro-blogging site Twitter to trend #findhinyumoren, to pray and hope for her safe return.
Through the help of the Chairman of Uruan local government area, Surv. Iniobong Ekpeyong, who wade into the matter and called a cousin to the suspected abductor to bring him for a no-hold-barred conversation, Uduak was apprehended.
According to report, ”the suspect was alleged to have taken the late Miss Umoren to his house where an argument ensured and in the process, he used an object to hit her on the head resulting in her death. He was alleged to have hurriedly buried her in a shallow grave and ran to Oron to hide.
Following pressure by the Police and Nigerians on social media, Oron became uncomfortable for him and he ran back to Uruan.”
After confessing to have killed Ini, Surv Ekpeyong, Uduak had no choice but to call the DPO of Uruan LGA and hand him over for further investigation and prosecution.
Meanwhile, as the news of Ini’s death floors the social media space, Ukeme Umoren, an elder brother to the girl had come out to call on the wife of the governor of Akwa Ibom State, Dr. Martha Udom Emmanuel, Akparawa Ephraim Inyang and other politicians to help find his last sister, explaining that they are orphans from Oruk Anam LGA who have toiled and soiled to scale through life.
Also, in the midst of the widespread news of Ini’s alleged death, the police is yet to come out with a statement or position on the matter.
