DESPITE denial by the Police in Akwa-Ibom of the alleged murder of one Deborah Nkpenie Nkereuwem by an Inspector of Police, Bassey peter Ikpe, the police authorities have ordered his arrest.

The Akwa-Ibom Commissioner of Police (CP), Imohimi Edgal, on Wednesday, ordered the arrest of Ikpe for the alleged murder of the deceased, said the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Diko Mcdon, in a statement.

The statement read in part: “The attention of the Akwa Ibom State Police Command has been drawn to publications in some dailies and online media to the effect that a police officer attached to the state police command, one Insp. Bassey Ikpe, reportedly beat one Mrs Deborah Nkpenie to death, on Jan. 16.

“To authenticate this serious allegation, CP Imohimi Edgal, the state Commissioner of Police, has ordered the immediate arrest of the said inspector”.

The CP had instructed the Deputy Commissioner, State Criminal Investigations Department (SCID) S.U Horsefall to carry out a thorough investigation into the matter.

Mcdon confirmed the arrest on a phone conversation with The ICIR on Wednesday. He, however, gave no further information on the investigation.

“Since he has been detained, it means the case is been investigated,” Mcdon said.

Earlier, when The ICIR contacted Mcdon on Tuesday, he denied claim inspector Ikpe had an encounter with the deceased.

“That information is frivolous. That information is false. That information is not true to the fact. The police wouldn’t have beaten an aged woman,” Mcdon had said.

“In fact, on her arrival in the facility where she was arrested, she was sick. She complained of being sick. It was on that ground that she was granted bail and she left.

“Only for her, in the course of treating her and while the case was still pending; while she was on police bail, she died,” he explained.

But the new fact has exposed the mendacity of the claim by the police spokesperson.

Mcdon who sounded rather aggressive during the telephone interview wondered why a police inspector should be so defamed in the course of carrying out his duty.

In the earlier hours of Wednesday, @JohnsonNtia who earlier broke the news, tweeted that the CP has ordered the arrest and detention of the police officer.

In a document sent to The ICIR by Clifford on January 21, it revealed that the said police had allegedly beaten the deceased to death on January 16 over her non-compliance to give up on her late husband’s inheritance to her three stepsons.

He noted that Ikpe had threatened and harassed her repeatedly, despite his knowledge of her ailing health.

On the day of the incident, according to witnesses, Ikpe had forcefully dragged her out of the tricycle, insisting she lied about her state of health which eventually led to her death.