Robbers kill policeman, snatch seven cars in C’River

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.