Posted by By BONIFACE NZAMA, Calabar on
A gallant retired soldier, Corporal J. Adie Umbo has joined the league of Nigerian fallen heroes, following a bloody battle with a gang of deadly armed robbers who took his life.
A gallant retired soldier, Corporal J. Adie Umbo has joined the league of Nigerian fallen heroes, following a bloody battle with a gang of deadly armed robbers who took his life.
The septuagenarian was shot dead challenging the robbers, as he allegedly gunned down a member of the notorious gang which was said to have been terrorising Cross River State.
Retired Corporal Umbo was shot dead at his residence at Ikwen Ogar Street, Obudu local government township in Cross River State, where the armed robbers had launched a midday raid on the house of a wealthy business man, one Mr. Christian Akanihu, popularly called Sunny sound.
Fearless, even after he had retired several years ago, the old soldier was said to have defied all attempts by the wife to restrain him from stepping out of the house to face the robbers, consequently, he was killed.
Mrs. Juliana Umbo, wife of the septuagenarian, who spoke with Daily Sun, surrounded by sympathisers said: "It was at about 1.30 am when the armed robbers struck." The first thing we heard was the sound of a vehicle which drove to the frontage of our neighbour's house.
"Not quite long as the sound of the vehicle went off, we started hearing some people hitting the door of Sunny sound's house, telling those inside the house to open the door if they didn't want to die.
"While they were hitting the door, we started hearing gunshots from different angles around our street.
"It was then my husband jumped from the bed where he was sleeping, saying that he was going to face them because they cannot come and rob here and go scot free.
"As I tried to stop my husband, we struggled in the bedroom until he later overpowered me, after dislocating my finger."
Mrs. Umbo, who was seen with a swollen finger, added: "Even after that, my husband only pretended that he was no longer going out of the house, but to my greatest disappointment, before I could realise what was happening, my husband had already opened the back door of our house and was fighting with the robbers outside."
While the robbers were suspected to be armed with sophisticated firearms like AK 47, it was gathered that the ex-soldier launched the counter-attack on the gang with a locally made dane gun.
Investigations revealed that the brave old man was shot dead while trying to load another cartridge after discharging the first round of bullets which killed a member of the 30-man armed robbery gang.
When residents of the Ikwen Ogar street, woke up the following morning and saw the corpse of the retired soldier, it was gathered that the robbers took the lifeless body of their member to a swampy area, along Vandekya -Benue State road, where the corpse was stripped naked and abandoned as the gang apparently wanted to avoid leaving any document or identity card on their deceased colleague that may have led to their arrest.
Indication that one of the robbers was killed by the ex-soldier, started the following morning when residents saw traces of blood from the point the ill-fated robber was shot towards the direction through which the robbers had escaped.
Apart from the ex-soldier, the robbers were also said to have killed a pre-NCE student of Federal College of Education, Obudu simply identified as Monday who was hit by stray bullet which pierced the door and mud walls of his one room apartment.
Although Sunny sound suspected to be the main target was not available, it was gathered that the robbers carted away about N250, 000 from the wife of the oil dealer-cum-electronics businessman.
Meanwhile,Policemen at Obudu Division said they had nabbed four suspects who had made statements.