Robbers kill policeman, snatch seven cars in Cross River state

Bandits on Friday operated in Calabar freely
for over three hours, killing an unidentified
Inspector of Police that led a team to stop
the robbery operations at a popular hotel
located behind the headquarters of the Zone
6 Police Command.
The robbers also shot another policeman at
the same hotel before making away with his
gun to another part of the Calabar
metropolis where they attacked a security
operative at a bank, also snatching his
weapon.
Southern City News learnt on Sunday that
the armed bandits operated in the Cross
River State capital from 9pm to 12 midnight
and snatched seven cars before retreating
to their hideout.
An anonymous source said the armed
robbers took time to dispossess the hotel
customers of their belongings for over one
hour before the arrival of the police team
whose leader was killed.
The source said that after leaving the hotel,
the bandits went to the Nelson Mandela
Street end of the Watt market in Calabar-
South stabbed and dispossessed one
security operative of his gun.
He said, “The robbers operated at the hotel
for over one hour before the intervention of
policemen from the Federal Housing Police
Station. The police team were ambushed by
the robbers some few metres to the gate of
the hotel.
“They immediately opened fire on them and
in the process killed the police inspector that
led the team and shot another policeman
who is in critical condition.
“They also collected their guns and headed
towards Nelson Mandela in Calabar South
where they stabbed one policeman at an old
generation bank close to Conoil Filing
Station. They also collected the gun of the
injured policeman. As they were moving,
they were snatching vehicles. I learnt they
collected up to seven cars in the course of
the operations that lasted from 9pm to 12
midnight.”
Robbers had also last Tuesday invaded one
of the old generation banks along Mayne
Avenue in Calabar South and killed one of
the mobile policemen on duty and made
away with his gun.
When contacted, the Police Public Relations
Officer, Mr. John Eluu, confirmed the robbery
operations on Friday.
He said, “Yes, I am aware of the robbery
operation at the hotel. The police are still
investigating and will soon arrest the
perpetrators.
“We are calling on members of the public to
avail us with useful information at all times
to help curb this ugly development,” Eluu
said.