Gunmen kill four policemen in Cross River, five arrested

Five suspects have been arrested in connection with the killing of four policemen in Calabar.

The policemen said to be two inspectors and two sergeants were killed by gunmen between 12 midnight and 1am on Thursday at a makeshift checkpoint at Ayan Mbat community on Idundu Road in Calabar Municipality.

Their guns were allegedly carted away by the unidentified gunmen.

Confirming the incident, the state Commissioner of Police, Sikiru Akande, said, “We have gone to the scene to see what has happened. The attack was a means devised to dampen our spirit. Our spirit is not dampened.

“We have arrested five suspects. More will be arrested. From intelligence gathered, a group of cultists want to get equipment for their initiation coming up soon. In the next few days, we will get all of them.

“We have started recovering some of the weapons they snatched, thereby reducing the threat they would have posed. We have already started striking back.”

When our correspondent visited the scene of the attack, bloodstains could still be seen.

Sources said the policemen may have been taken unawares during the attack.

Residents said they heard prolonged gunshots in the night only to see the corpses of the slain policemen in the morning on Thursday.

“We heard gunshots for several minutes in the night. When we woke up we saw the bodies of the policemen,” a resident who pleaded not to be named said.

Another eyewitness who lives opposite the checkpoint said the four policemen who divided themselves into two, two at the checkpoint and two opposite the checkpoint, were apparently taken by surprise. Punch