Gunmen Invade Calabar Correctional Centre, Kill One Officer
BY UBON EKANEM, CALABAR – Unknown gunmen were on a rampage Wednesday evening as they invaded the Calabar Correctional Centre in the Cross River State capital killing one personnel in the process.
Reacting to the reported attack on its facility by the gunmen, Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the Nigeria Correctional Service (NCoS) in Calabar, Superintendent Effangha Etim, confirmed the personnel, Mr Polycarp Essien, died during the invasion that occurred on Wednesday evening
Superintendent Etim, who said the officer died during the exchange of fire between the criminal gang and prison officials, explained that the armed men launched their attack through the back of the Correctional Centre and shot sporadically into the air in order to scare the officers on duty and gain access into the facility.
According to him; “Our men had no option than to repel the attack. Unfortunately, we lost one of the officers in that fight and got the armed gunmen overpowered. So far, we are currently trying to carry out an investigation to unravel the mystery behind this attack.”
Etim told newsmen in Calabar on Thursday that “No inmate escaped or was killed during the attack, and the attackers didn’t get close to the main facility, adding; “When they came, they opened fire on the security team who also responded in like manner and in the process, an Assistant Superintendent of Correction (ASC), was killed.
The Centre Spokesperson further said; “As we speak, we have deployed more armed personnel to the facility and everything is under control.”
As of the time of filing this report, it was gathered the State Comptroller was in a crucial meeting with his management team over the prison invasion even as reports that could not be immediately confirmed emerged that a woman and her six-year-old daughter were hit by stray bullets during the attack
With the disturbing security situation in Calabar, competent sources hinted that the gunmen, suspected to be militants, on Wednesday evening attacked the custodial facility in Calabar located within the Afokang community in Calabar South Local Government Area of the State, killing one of the Prisons’ officials on duty.
Forefront News reliable source stated that the armed men, whose mission was not immediately known, breached the security set-up at the Correctional Centre by coming through one of the nearby creeks.
“There was a serious attempt to break into the Afokang prison today by some gun-wielding criminals but the attack was repelled by the Correctional Centre officials who were alert to the security threat”, the source said.
The source further stated that some of the invaders sustained gunshot wounds in the encounter and had to quickly retreat to their hideouts in the creeks after succumbing to the superior firepower of the Correctional Centre’s officials.
An officer of the Centre, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said given the Prison’s location close to the creeks, there have been several memos on the urgent need to improve the security around the area with modern technology and equipment to easily ward off possible threats from criminal elements.
