3 Confirmed Dead After Police And Army Clash In Calabar

Two policemen and a naval rating lost their lives on Tuesday night in Calabar, after some suspected naval officers attacked a police station in the capital city of Cross River State. Trouble started around 5:00p.m. on Tuesday when police traffic controllers attempted to stop some naval officers who flouted the red light at a point near the Calabar Township.

While some eyewitnesses said the naval officers not only ignored the policemen but also beat them up, others told newsmen that trouble started when the unidentified naval rating was shot in the left shoulder by policeman over the traffic offence.

Two policemen identified as Sergeant Odudu and Corporal Emmanuel Mbang were shot dead at close range while a third policeman simply identified as Ibiam was shot in the left eye.

An eyewitness, Samson Inok, said at least three naval operatives emerged from a nearby gutter and shot the policemen who were trying to escape from the station.

“The navy operatives came out from the gutter and started shooting at a very close range with their guns while a General Purpose Machine Gun (GPMG) which was mounted some distance away was firing at the station. This is not an ordinary gun that they use for this kind of small clash. They were running for safety thinking that the naval men were far away” he said.

“We confirmed three bodies but we feared there are more,” the witness added, accusing the naval officers of blocking fire fighters from extinguishing the inferno set at the police station. As at yesterday the situation was still in heat.