From Judex Okoro, Calabar
Tragedy struck residents of Calabar South in Cross River state as gunmen attacked Correctional Service and killed one officer on duty.
The ugly incident occurred about 8:00pm on Wednesday when gun-trotting men attacked the facility and opened fire on officers who were on duty killing one instantly and took away his riffle.
A witness, who don’t want his name in print, said the hoodlums numbering about four and masked came in from across the river and carried out the operation which didn’t last more than 30 minutes.
The witness, one of the officers, who was also shot, escaped with the bullet , adding that a mother and her six years old daughter were hit by stray bullets during the attack.
According to him, the victims are said to be receiving treatment in an undisclosed hospital.
mother and her six years old daughter were hit by stray bullets during the attack.
The victims who were rushed to Naval Hospital in Calabar, were hit in the stomach and hand respectively. (
Reacting to the development on Thursday, the spokesman of the state Command of the Correctional Service, Affanga Etim, debunked the claim that the attack was aimed at the Correctional facility.
Etim said the gunmen only opened fire on the Joint Security Team at the facility and that there was no damage to the facility.
According to him, “when they came, they opened fire on the security team, who also responded in the like manner, and in the process, an Assistant Superintendent of Correction (ASC) was killed.
“No inmate escaped or was killed, the attackers didn’t get close to the main facility.
“As we speak, we have deployed more armed personnel to the facility and everything is under control.”
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