Gunmen kill 6 policemen, cart away arms in C’River

…Only 2 were killed — PPRO

By Emma Una & Ike Uchechukwu

Six policemen were reportedly killed, yesterday, in Obubra, Central Cross River State, coming on the heels of the killings of four policemen last week in the state capital, Calabar.

A source in the area, Ebokpo, told Vanguard that the gunmen in a Sienna bus attacked and killed four policemen at a checkpoint at Onyadama.

The source added that the gunmen went away with the policemen’s weapons.

“The same gang drove down to Ofatura checkpoint, shot sporadically and the policemen at the checkpoint took to their heels but two of them were killed as they were shot at the back.”

He said the gunmen also made away with the guns of the policemen and abandoned the Sienna bus, snatched another vehicle with which they escaped.

He said: “One of the policemen killed in Ofatura is called Raymond and is from that village. People are wailing here.”

READ ALSO: CP visits 4 widows, 10 children of slain policemen in C/River

Our source said at the Obubra junction, some three kilometres from Ofatura, there was an exchange of gunfire with soldiers at the military checkpoint and a soldier was shot at the arm.

The source said: “They drove in a commercial vehicle suspected to have been snatched for the operation and abandoned at the checkpoint where the Army superior gun firepower forced them to abandon it before, fleeing into the nearby bush.”

Only 2 were killed —PPRO

Meanwhile, the Cross River State Police Command said last night that only two police officers were killed and not six.

The Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Irene Ugbo, who confirmed the incident stated that only two policemen were killed while one was injured and receiving treatment at the moment.

She further said there have been a rejig of the modus operandi of security apparatus in the area and that there is a manhunt of the assailants, who later abandoned their vehicle and ran into the bush when engaged in a gun battle.

She said: “The Cross River State Command regrets and condemns the unfortunate attack on Policemen by gunmen at two checkpoints in Obubra Local Government Area in the early hours of today (yesterday).

“The command hereby refutes the trending news marking the rounds in some quarters that six policemen were killed in the said attack.

“This statement is hereby issued to clear the air that two policemen lost their lives, one injured and responding to treatment.

She added that the Commissioner of Police, Sikiru Akande, has called for calm while frantic effort was ongoing to get to the root of this incident.

“The command enjoins residents and well-meaning Cross Riverians to view security as a collective venture by sharing genuine information with police. We are resolute to make Cross River State peaceful for all,” the statement read.

Vanguard News Nigeria

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