Former House of Reps Member Accused of Assault, Attempted Kidnapping by Ex-Secretary-Turned-Lover

A disturbing allegation has surfaced against former House of Representatives member Hon. Robinson Uwak, who is being accused of a violent assault and attempted abduction by Godiya Midenda, a former secretary who later became romantically involved with him. The incident allegedly occurred in the early hours of Tuesday, April 15, and is the latest in a string of controversies linked to the ex-lawmaker.

Midenda told SaharaReporters that she first met Uwak in 2021 when she briefly worked as his secretary during an academic staff strike. It was during this period that Uwak allegedly expressed a romantic interest in her—an interest she initially resisted.

According to her, Uwak was persistent, and she eventually agreed to a relationship under clear conditions. “At the end of the day I told him that if we must have something to do together, I will need certain things from him. I requested an iPhone Pro, N500,000, a job and a laptop,” she said. However, Uwak declined the requests, leading her to withdraw from the arrangement.

Midenda said they later reconnected after about a year when Uwak visited her residence. Although she claimed he had made several promises—which were never fulfilled—the relationship resumed intermittently, with Uwak allegedly demanding that they continue seeing each other once or twice a month. Despite this, she said his communication became inconsistent and eventually ceased altogether, prompting her to reach out without any response.

The situation took a frightening turn on Monday night, April 14, when Midenda said she noticed Uwak loitering around her neighborhood at about 7:00 p.m. She ignored him. However, she was awakened at around 2:00 a.m. the following morning by phone calls and persistent knocking on her door. When she asked who was there, a man reportedly informed her that Uwak was outside and wanted to speak to her.

Midenda initially refused to come out, citing the late hour and her concern for personal safety. Despite repeated requests from the visitor and multiple calls from Uwak himself, she said she tried to end the interaction by switching off her phone, but the knocking continued.

Feeling pressured and emotionally exhausted, she eventually stepped out and entered Uwak’s car. It was inside the vehicle, she claimed, that a heated argument erupted. “I tried to have a decent conversation with him but before I knew it, he started punching me in the face,” she recounted.

She said she used her garment to shield her head as he continued hitting her, and she pleaded with him to let her return home. At that point, however, the vehicle was already moving. As they approached the gate of her estate, Midenda said she became convinced that her safety was at risk and made a split-second decision to jump out of the moving vehicle.

“I didn’t know where he was taking me. It was late, the road was empty, and I feared for my life,” she said. Photos she later shared with SaharaReporters show significant bruising on her legs, arms, and back.

Multiple attempts by SaharaReporters to reach Robinson Uwak for comment were unsuccessful. Calls to his mobile line and messages sent via WhatsApp were delivered but went unanswered as of the time of filing this report.

This is not the first time Uwak has faced serious allegations involving violence and abuse. In 2022, he was accused by his estranged wife, Kezia Uwak, of domestic violence and attempted murder. She alleged in a press conference in Calabar that Uwak physically abused her, tried to strangle her, and used his influence to have her father arrested. Photographic evidence and a series of social media posts at the time added weight to her claims, which included allegations of abuse toward her mother as well.

Robinson Uwak represented the Oron/Mbo/Okobo/Ure-Offong/Oruko and Udung-Uko Federal Constituency in Akwa Ibom State in the 7th National Assembly from 2011 to 2015. His tenure in public service has since been overshadowed by repeated accusations of violence, coercion, and abuse from women once close to him.