Reported by: Oahimire Omone Precious | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
The quiet community of Abanyama, deep in the forest of Creek Town, Odukpani Local Government Area of Cross River State, has been convulsed by a confession that reads like the plot of a dark revenge film. On the night of Saturday, 30 May 2026, the Cross River State Police Command issued a statement that sought both to confirm a killing spree and to calm public panic. At the centre of the storm was a 40‑year‑old man named Akaninyene Eretus, who had been arrested days earlier after a joint operation of soldiers, tactical police officers and local youths tracked him to an isolated hut he had allegedly built deep in the bush. Under interrogation, Eretus told detectives from the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) that he had killed two men – Okokon and Okon – on 24 and 25 May 2026. His motive, he said, was simple and terrible: revenge for the murder of his parents and two elder brothers during a communal crisis that had happened nearly 29 years ago, when he was barely 11 years old.
The Cross River Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Sunday Eitokpah (also referred to in some reports as Sunday Akata), confirmed the arrest in a detailed statement. The command explained that the suspect was tracked down after security operatives acted on intelligence linking him to the recent disappearance and murder of a victim in the community. Eretus, an indigene of Obot Akara Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State, had been living in a remote forest hideout within the Abanyama area of Ukim Ita Community, Creek Town. When the joint security team approached, he reportedly attempted to flee but was quickly overpowered.
It was during interrogation that Eretus offered the shocking explanation for his actions. Speaking to detectives, he admitted to the slayings of the two men, whom he identified as Okokon and Okon. “I killed them because I could not forget my family being taken from me,” he was quoted as saying. “For 29 years I lived with the pain. I wanted justice; I thought I could right the wrongs done to my parents and brothers.” The statement, signed by the PPRO and released on Saturday, 30 May, added that Eretus disclosed that one of the victims was slaughtered while asleep, and the other was attacked with a machete.
The confession immediately ignited a firestorm of online speculation, with unverified reports circulating on social media that Eretus had admitted to killing as many as 30 people. The rumours were fuelled by the discovery, during the search of his hideout, of about eight shallow graves hidden beneath plantain crops. Some graves reportedly contained multiple headless bodies, suggesting that the killings may have stretched over a long period. However, the police moved quickly to debunk the exaggerated claims. “The command is investigating two alleged murders at this time,” ASP Eitokpah said in a statement. “Reports of 30 killings are unconfirmed and capable of causing panic. We advise the public to rely on official briefings only.”
The authorities’ clarification did not entirely quell the shock felt by residents. Many in Creek Town and the surrounding villages were still reeling from the horror of the discovery that a suspected serial killer had been living in their midst. According to community sources, suspicion had been raised after residents heard cries and sounds of a struggle emanating from the direction of Eretus’s hideout during what is believed to have been his final attack on 26 May. The incident was reported to the local authorities by concerned community leaders, including the councillor for Creek Town Ward 1, Apostle Ene Itam, and other stakeholders. The Odukpani Local Government Chairman, Rt Hon. Elder Chief Ukpong Etim Asido, subsequently alerted the security agencies, leading to the large‑scale manhunt that ultimately resulted in Eretus’s capture.
During the search of Eretus’s compound, operatives discovered the shallow graves hidden under plantain crops, which investigators believe were planted specifically to conceal the burial sites. The bodies exhumed from the graves were reportedly found without their heads, an element that added to the macabre nature of the case. Investigators also recovered other incriminating items, including a machete and blood‑stained clothing.
ASP Eitokpah emphasised that Eretus’s statements remain subject to thorough verification. “Investigations are ongoing,” he said. “Charges will follow after forensic and legal processes are concluded.” The police also confirmed that a female suspect, identified as 35‑year‑old Uduak Essien, had been arrested in connection with the case. During preliminary interrogation, Eretus had allegedly claimed that a woman assisted him in luring victims, although authorities have yet to verify the full extent of her involvement.
The case has deeply shaken the community, with many residents expressing disbelief that a person could harbour such a grudge for three decades and then act on it with such chilling deliberation. For the families of Okokon and Okon, the revelation that the killings were motivated by a revenge plot dating back to a communal crisis in the mid‑1990s has offered a motive, but little comfort. The police have appealed to residents to remain calm, avoid spreading unverified rumours, and continue cooperating with the investigation.
As the forensic process unfolds, the people of Creek Town and the larger Odukpani area are left to grapple with a dark chapter in their communal history. For Akaninyene Eretus, who says he lived with pain for 29 years, the path of vengeance has led him to a prison cell, where he now faces the prospect of a trial that could send him to prison for the rest of his life.
📩 Stone Reporters News | 🌍 stonereportersnews.com
✉️ info@stonereportersnews.com
📘 Facebook: Stone Reporters News
🐦 X (Twitter): @StoneReportNew
📸 Instagram: @stonereportersnews
Add comment
Comments