The police in Cross River State have reacted to a gory incident that occurred yesterday during the APC House of Representatives primary in Akpabuyo/Bakassi/Calabar South.
Mr. Joseph Bassey, the Deputy Speaker of the State House of Assembly, and Mr. Saviour Nyong, the ex-Commissioner for Transport and Marine, were the candidates in the election.
According to eyewitnesses, one of the candidates allegedly stole primary materials. This, they claimed, enraged supporters of the other candidates, resulting in a brawl.
During this time, the Police Department’s anti-cultism section came in to restore order. Shots were fired, which resulted in a stampede.
Emman, a youth leader in Calabar South’s Ward 7, went to where he had parked his car and was apparently asking one of the gunmen to let him take it, but was shot.
Irene Ugbo, the state Police Public Relations Officer, defended the officers, saying that hoodlums had entered the venue after the primaries had ended and their motives were unknown.
She said “our men were shot at by the hoodlums and in the process, the police responded, three of our men were wounded and currently receiving treatment.
The Suspect in question was with a pistol.
“We don’t know if the move was politically motivated. Already we have intelligence that they are planning to attack some of our formations including the Anti Cult and kidnapping Squad (ACKS) domiciled inside the cultural Centre”.
Three days ago, one policeman was killed at Obudu during a PDP primaries election.