Calabar, Nigeria – A police officer attached to the Atakpa Division in Calabar, Cross River State, has shot three persons after reportedly going AWOL.
Converseer learned that the incident occurred on Sunday morning near the Watt Market area, where the police station is located.
According to The Paradise News, eyewitnesses said the officer, whose identity was yet to be confirmed at the time of this report, displayed signs of mental instability inside the station.
“He was laying outside the station with his firearm. His colleagues were afraid to go close to him. And then he started shooting sporadically into the air. At that moment, many of the policemen started running, with some scaling the fence over to the Yoruba line in Watt Market.
“When he stood up, he walked towards the road and then started shooting again. Three persons were hit by stray bullets,” an eyewitness recounted.
Another witness, who claimed to reside on Garden Street near the station, alleged that “the policeman had taken colos. It’s the effect of the drugs that’s tormenting him.”
When our correspondent visited the scene, the area had been cordoned off, with vehicular and pedestrian movements diverted.
Confirming the incident, the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Irene Ugbo Obase, said the situation was under control.
“It’s true it happened. The Inspector came from bit, and all of a sudden, he started misbehaving. We don’t know the cause of his irrational behaviour. He started shooting sporadically into the air and telling people not to come near him.
“In the process, three people were hit. One woman is dead right now, two are in the hospital and in critical condition. The Inspector has been arrested. He’s in our custody,” she said.