By Emmanuel Unah
Tragedy struck at the Cross River State Police Command over the weekend when the rifle of a policeman, Ubi Arikpo, a Sergeant, accidentally went off , shooting dead his colleague, one Francis Agube, a Police Sergeant too.
A police source at the Atakpa Police Station in Calabar South, narrated that the incident took place infront of the police station while the police pickup van carrying the team of policemen on patrol was passing through the gate of the station.
“The team was from the State CID unit at the Police headquartres on Diamond Hill who were on patrol duty. As they were passing though the Calabar Road by Watt Market, from the roundabout with the Bassey Duke effigy, towards the station, Sergeant Ubi wanted to adjust his gun and it discharged accidentally and fatally shot and killed Sergeant Agube who was sitting directly opposite him in the vehicle”.
According to the source, the shot hit Agube on his neck shattering his gullet and face and killing him on the spot. “That spot where they covered sand on the road infront of the station was where Agube was pulled to the ground from the van by the impact of the shot”.
Another source at the Command headquartres said Agube is from Abi Local Government Area while Arikpo who shot him is from Yakkur Local Government Area. “Both of them are from Cross River State. Arikpo has been arrested and is in detention here at the headquartres while Agube’s body is in the mortuary”.
Irene Ugbo, the Cross River Police Command Spokesman when contacted did not provide much information other than , ” the tragedy is being investigated to unravel the cause”. Last year, more than four policemen serving in the command were killed by unknown gunmen while on night duty at Idundu on the outskirts of Calabar and in Obubra.
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