Gunmen shot and killed Apostle Elisha Asuquo, the founder of the Mount of Solution Redeemed Church (MSRC), and Aniekan Ibanga, the church’s pastor, at Ikot Ekang, a settlement in the Abak Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom state.
At around 7:30 p.m. on a Saturday, the shooters broke into the Church’s National Headquarters and interrupted a parish gathering. This horrible event took place.
After carrying out the act, the mysterious shooters allegedly fled along the Abak-Ikot Ekpene Federal Highway.
It was learned that the late Apostle Asuquo was a native of Ikot Obioikpa village, Afaha Obong Clan, in Abak LGA, whereas Pastor Aniekan Ibanga was from Adiasim in Essien Udim Local Government Area.
In an interview with Leadership, Bishop John Jeremiah Kpongkpong, a prominent member of the Ikot Ekang community, characterized the murder of the two clergymen as startling, pointing out that it was an unprecedented instance of such a heinous crime in the community.
Before the tragic event, he claimed that Apostle Asuquo was resolving a passionate and important situation involving a woman and her divorced husband.
He said, “It was around 8 p.m., I was attending a church programme when somebody called and asked me whether I had heard that Prophet Elisha and his Pastor had been shot dead. While still on that call, another person came in and told me that Prophet Elisha and Pastor Aniekan had been killed.
“I had to close from the church and rush to the palace of the Village Head to inform him of what had happened. After informing the Village Head, he instructed me to call the Police, which I did.
“On getting to the Church premises, I saw many people gathering while Policemen from Abak Division were performing their duty.”
Alphonsus Alphonsus Okoro, the Youth President of Ikot Obio Ikpa Village, also spoke about the tragedy and expressed how sad and terrible it was to lose their kid.
Godwin Adahada, the youth president of Ikot Ekang village, concurred with his further request that the two communities work together and look into the situation in order to hold the offenders accountable.
The Commissioner of Police, CP Waheed Ayirara, has ordered a manhunt for the culprits, according to CSP Odiko MacDon, the spokesperson for the state police command, who confirmed the occurrence.
He promised that the discreet investigations that were still on would result in the apprehending and eventual trial of the offenders.
