I waited more than 25 years for revenge — Suspect tells Police after alleged killing of two elders

•The suspect, Akaniyene Ignatius

When police detectives ar­rested 49-year-old farm­er, Akaniyene Ignatius, in connection with the death of two elderly men in Aban­yama Community, Creek Town, Odukpani Local Government Area of Cross River State, they expected another homicide investigation.

What they allegedly uncovered in­stead was a story of family conflict, grief, anger and a revenge mission that the suspect claimed had been building inside him for more than two decades, reports Saturday Independent.

Now in police custody, Ignatius has allegedly confessed to killing two prominent elders of the com­munity, insisting that he carried out the attacks to avenge the death of his parents and brother.

Though he expressed regret over his actions, he told investigators that the memories of what happened to his family never left him.

“I killed the two elders because they were part of the people who were responsible for the death of my brother and my parents since 1999,” the suspect reportedly told investi­gators.

The alleged confession has brought some relief to frightened residents of Abanyama Communi­ty, where fear had spread following the death of two elderly men within a short period.

For weeks, uncertainty gripped the riverine community. Residents reportedly abandoned homes and farm settlements, fearing that an unknown killer was on the loose and wondering who might become the next target.

The panic began after the death of 75-year-old Oko Okon.

According to police sources, the elderly man was allegedly attacked in his home on May 24, 2026.

Investigators said the circum­stances surrounding the killing initially provided few clues, leaving residents shocked and confused.

Before the community could recover from the tragedy, another respected elder, 73-year-old Okon Akpan, was also found dead under similar circumstances.

The second killing intensified fears across the community. Many residents reportedly fled while oth­ers avoided isolated areas and farm­lands.

The atmosphere of fear continued until detectives from the homicide section of the State Criminal Inves­tigation Department began piecing together evidence.

According to a police source famil­iar with the investigation, suspicion eventually fell on Ignatius after in­formation emerged linking him to property allegedly removed from one of the victims’ homes.

The source said detectives arrest­ed the suspect while he was allegedly attempting to sell a mattress believed to belong to one of the deceased men.

Following his arrest, investigators said Ignatius-led detectives to loca­tions that became crucial for the in­vestigation.

Police sources alleged that evi­dence connected to the killings was recovered during the operation.

“He cooperated with investigators after his arrest and took detectives to different locations relevant to the case,” a source familiar with the in­vestigation said.

But it was during interrogation that investigators reportedly heard the story that the suspect claimed had driven his actions.

According to police sources, Igna­tius described himself as a farmer who was born and raised in Aban­yama despite his family’s roots in neighbouring Akwa Ibom State.

“I am a farmer and I am 49 years old,” he reportedly told investigators.

“We are from Akwa Ibom State but my parents had been in Cross River for a long time. I was even born in Abanyama.”

The suspect allegedly told detec­tives that the tragedy that shaped his life began when he was still a young boy.

According to his account, ten­sions existed within his family, par­ticularly between his father and two brothers, identified as Kokoite and Ekperite.

He claimed the disputes became so frequent that community elders were repeatedly called upon to in­tervene.

“It all started when I was still very young,” he said, according to police accounts.

“My father and my brothers were always having problems. The com­munity had intervened many times.”

The suspect claimed one of the major confrontations erupted over what appeared to be a simple family issue during a meal.

According to him, his mother was preparing food and was about to serve his father first, in keeping with family tradition. He alleged that his brother objected.

“It was the custom for my mother to always serve my father before the children,” he reportedly said.

“But on that day, my brother insist­ed that his own food must be served first.”

What followed, according to the suspect’s account, was another con­frontation between father and son.

The disagreement allegedly es­calated and eventually attracted the attention of community elders.

The suspect claimed the matter later went beyond traditional inter­vention and entered the criminal justice system.

“My father reported the matter to the elders,” he said.

“The community had intervened many times before. Eventually, they were arrested and handed over to the police.”

According to his account, his brothers were prosecuted and sent to prison. He claimed that after they were released and returned home, efforts were made to restore peace.

The suspect, however, alleged that the conflict did not truly end.

According to him, one of his brothers later became the target of a violent attack.

“After they came back, everybody believed everything was over,” he re­portedly told investigators.

“But the community mobilised again and attacked my brother.” He alleged that his brother, Ekperite, died from injuries sustained during the attack.

“My brother was killed,” he claimed. The suspect further alleged that another brother fled the commu­nity and relocated to Lagos because he feared for his life.

Police have not independently verified these claims and continue to investigate the historical events referenced by the suspect.

According to the statements at­tributed to him, the death of his brother devastated the family.

He claimed his mother never re­covered emotionally from the loss.

“After the death of my brother, my mother became traumatised,” he re­portedly said.

“She became very sick and she did not survive the pain.”

The suspect further alleged that his father died approximately one year later.

“My father also died after that,” he claimed.

“He could not bear losing his son and his wife within such a short time.”

According to investigators, it was at this point that the suspect said he made a decision that would shape the rest of his life.

He claimed he silently vowed to avenge his family’s deaths.

“I was left alone in the village and I vowed that I would avenge the death of my parents and my brother,” he reportedly told detectives.

For years, according to his ac­count, the anger remained buried.

The suspect allegedly told police that although decades passed, he nev­er forgot what he believed happened to his family.

Investigators said he maintained that some elders in the community were responsible for those events.

Police sources said the suspect specifically linked his alleged actions to that long-standing grievance.

According to investigators, he admitted targeting the two elderly men because he believed they were connected to what happened years earlier.

The alleged killings, investigators said, sparked widespread panic in the community.

Residents struggled to understand why respected elderly men would be targeted. Rumours quickly spread.

At one point, social media reports began circulating claims that dozens of bodies had been linked to a sus­pected serial killer operating in the area.

The reports generated further fears and confusion.

Reacting to the development, the spokesperson of the Cross River State Police Command, ASP Ewa Etekpah Sunday, urged the public to remain calm and avoid speculation.

“The unfortunate incident of the alleged serial killer case in Odukpani Community quickly spread like wild­fire, with sources alleging that over 30 bodies were involved in this grue­some act,” the police spokesperson said.

“Our immediate concern is to en­sure a thorough, professional and im­partial investigation into the alleged incidents in Creek Town.”

He stressed that the investigation remains ongoing.

According to him, statements made by the suspect have not yet been fully verified.

“While the suspect is currently in custody and has made certain state­ments during interrogation, these re­main subject to verification,” he said.

“The matter is under active in­vestigation. We urge the public to remain calm, avoid speculation and allow investigators to do their work.”

As detectives continue their work, many questions remain unanswered.

Investigators are still examining the historical claims made by the sus­pect and seeking to establish whether the events he described occurred as alleged.

They are also working to de­termine the full circumstances surrounding the deaths of the two elders.

Meanwhile, residents of Abanya­ma Community are slowly returning to their normal lives after weeks of fear.

For many, however, the alleged confession has raised troubling questions about how unresolved grievances can linger for decades.

For Ignatius, investigators say the story he told was one of loss, anger and revenge.

Yet even in his alleged confession, the suspect reportedly admitted that the outcome brought him no peace.

“Though I regret doing it,” he re­portedly told investigators, “it was anger that pushed me to avenge the deaths.”

Whether those claims are ulti­mately supported by evidence re­mains a matter for investigators and, potentially, the courts to determine.