Scores Died as Naval Officers Attack Police Station in Calabar
The spirit of espri de cop was thrown into the wind yesterday when some Naval officers disobey traffic order and failed to apologize to the traffic officers in charge in Calabar metropolis. It was learnt that several police officersย may have been killed onย Tuesday night after suspected officials of the Nigerian Navy stormed a police division in Calabar, the capital city of Cross River.
According to eye witness account,ย the attack began shortly after 8:30 p.m. and continuedย till 10:19 p.m. at Akim Divisional Headquarters.
โThe police station was burnt completely,โ SECURITY MONITOR gathers.
Police spokesperson, Jimoh Moshood, could not be reached for comments Tuesday night.
Sources said the unrest was a continuation of an initial skirmish between a police traffic officer and a naval officer at a traffic light near the Calabar Stadium along the Airport Road on Tuesday afternoon.
โSome naval officers ran the red light and police traffic officers intervened, but rather than listen, they descended on the policemen and beat them up,โ a witness said. โThis was around 5 p.m.โ
โPolice officers now called for back up and and the Navy also called for reinforcement and they took over the road leading to the airport.
โBut the Navy Commander and police commissioner in the state intervened and the two sides backed down,โ the witness said.
โHowever, around 8:00 p.m., when everyone thought the matter had been resolved, naval officers descended on Akim Police Station and started shooting and burnt down the facility.
โWe confirmed three bodies but we feared there are more,โ the witness said.
The witness also accused the naval officers of blocking fire fighters from extinguishing the inferno set at the police station.
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