Posted by By JOE EFFIONG, Uyo on
It was a rude welcome-home for the Rivers State correspondent of The Punch Newspapers, Mr Soni Daniel, who just commenced his annual leave as he was attacked by a six-man armed robbery gang that night at his Presbyterian Church Street, Federal Housing Estate, Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, residence.
It was a rude welcome-home for the Rivers State correspondent of The Punch Newspapers, Mr Soni Daniel, who just commenced his annual leave as he was attacked by a six-man armed robbery gang that night at his Presbyterian Church Street, Federal Housing Estate, Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, residence.
The robbers who damaged the heavily protected residence before gaining access to the building, carted away Daniel's laptop, assorted items of jewelry belonging to the wife, two handsets and some amount of money in the region of N30,000
Speaking with Daily Sun on his hospital bed at Dammy Memorial Hospital, where he was first rushed to before being moved to the University of Uyo Teaching Hospital on Saturday, Daniel said the hoodlums who gained entry into the compound by jumping the fence, had earlier that night, robbed the house opposite his own, before coming to work on his door for over one hour, shooting intermittently at the burglary proof.
While at the door, Daniel said himself, the wife and other members of his household kept shouting and sending telephone distress calls to neighbours and police to no avail.
Immediately the robbers entered, they made straight into his bedroom and shot his right foot, before ordering the wife to give them the money 'or we will kill you as we have killed your husband".
"After their operation, they locked my wife in a separate room, leaving our five-month-old baby crying alone in the room. The police team arrived the scene shortly after the robbers had completed their operation and left. They, however, accompanied me to the hospital."
Daily Sun could not confirm whether any arrest has so far been made since the state police commissioner, Mr. Richard Chime, when contacted, only said his men had commenced investigation into the matter.
There has been an increase in armed robbery cases in Uyo and its environs in the last three months. Only last week, about 20 houses and a hotel were raided in one night by dare-devil armed robbers in Nnung Oku, a community in the outskirts of Uyo.
It was learnt that the next day, they wrote a letter to one of the residents of the community to keep N500,000.00 at the mango tree near his house as they would come some day in future to pick it in peace without disturbing his sleep.