Posted by By JOE EFFIONG, Uyo on
He took to armed robbery as revenge because armed robbers raided his shop at Calabar and rendered him jobless and penniless, but now he is gasping for breath at the police clinic.
• He took to crime as revenge for robbers attack but ended up shattered by police bullets
He took to armed robbery as revenge because armed robbers raided his shop at Calabar and rendered him jobless and penniless, but now he is gasping for breath at the police clinic.
That is the story of Samuel Okon Ene from Ikot Ene in Akpabuyo local government area of Cross River State, who told Daily Sun on his hospital stretcher, at the Akwa Ibom State police headquarters, Ikot Akpanabia, that having been stripped of all his possessions by armed robbers in Calabar, he considered it expedient to cross over to the neighbouring Akwa Ibom state to join a gang and equally engage in armed robbery business.
How far he had gone or how successful he had been in his new 'business' could not be ascertained because he claimed that it was during his first operation with the gang on a Friday morning that it met its waterloo.
It was only Samuel who could live to tell his true-or-false story. His comrade in crime, Aniekan Okon Friday, from Etinan Local Government Area of the state was only paraded as a corpse.
The state commissioner of police, Mr Mike Zuokumor, told Daily Sun that the gang was raiding Edebom village in Nsit Ibom local government area when the police were alerted around 3.45 am that Friday.
"A distress call came and patrol team was immediately dispatched to the area, and a gun battle ensued between the hoodlums and the policemen. The encounter has left one of the robbers dead while one of them was seriously injured during the gun battle between the police and the hoodlums. Meanwhile, others escaped with bullet wounds and the search for them is on going" the police boss said.
The commissioner listed some of the items recovered from the robbers to include one K2 riffle with eight rounds of live ammunition, the sum of N15,275; five different handsets, five tins of milk, two wrist watches, three body lotion cream, one CD step-down, one leather slipper, one lady purse and seven sticks of cigarettes.
Zuokumor appealed to parents to advise their children who are in possession of fire arms to peacefully hand over same to the police, because when apprehended, they would be treated as criminals.
He said the police took crime detection and prevention very seriously since dealing with those preliminary aspects could drastically reduce the actual commission of crime.
"Policing is an onerous task, but could be made easier if the community partners with the police. I wish to thank those who have found us worthy to repose their confidence in us. Your trust will never be betrayed as we shall continue to treat every piece of information given to us with utmost confidentiality," the CP pledged.
The police public relations officer of the command, Mr Gabriel Ngban (ASP), said the police had to rush the suspect to their clinic "to prove to ºall that we are human right friendly."