A teacher in a private Nursery and Primary school (names withheld) in Calabar, Cross River State capital involved in a four-man robbery gang died in a gun duel between the gang and men of the Uwanse Police Division, Calabar along Goldie-Mount Zion road, Calabar south local government area of Cross River State.
The police who responded to a distress call engaged the gang in gun battle resulting in the injury of one person and escape of the driver, while the police recovered from them two locally made pistols, phones, laptops and cash, StraightNews gathered.
A close source said the gang went on rampage Monday evening and robbed a sport betting shop, beer distributing store as well as Micro Finance Bank at the same location.
An eyewitness, Mr. Ephraim Chigozie, told Vanguard that he thought the three members of the gang with fez caps who entered their premises wanted to drink.
His words: “Before I knew it, they held one of my boys. I did not know that the leader was pointing a pistol to his waist. As I walked to my car, they ordered me to go to the store and lie flat on the floor. After they had dispossessed us, they went into the Micro-finance Bank in the same premises.
“Unfortunately, the bank is usually busy on Mondays and was giving loans to market women. When they entered the bank, the crowd was thick. As they ordered everyone to lie down, the women screamed. They had to leave immediately because some people alerted the police too.
A source, who pleaded anonymity, said she knew the deceased suspect long time ago because he taught in her daughter’s school also in the area.
Her words: “I know the deceased suspect very well. He taught in different schools before coming to my daughter’s school (names withheld) in this neighbourhood. I am surprised that he was a robber because I was told that he left the school few weeks ago owing to salary issue.
“He was a graduate and I just don’t understand why he went into robbery. Look at how he wasted himself in the guise of looking for fast money. His gang had been robbing the people here day and night without fear, but he has finally met his Waterloo,” she said.
However, ASP Irene Ugbo, the Police Public Relations Officer in the state, said “Our men killed one of them during a gun duel because they first opened fire. One was injured while two others are still at large. Investigation is ongoing. We also recovered cash, two locally made pistols, laptops and phone, we will surely get to the root of the matter,” she assured.
(Vanguard)
