Four policemen attached to the Ikot Nakanda police Station in Akpabuyo local government Area headquarters have been in detention since Sunday morning after one of them failed to return his riffle to the armoury which he signed for night duty.
A source in the station told crossriverwatch that the four policemen reported for night duty on Saturday evening and each of them signed for a riffle and proceeded for duty but one of them was alleged to have slept off while on duty and “somebody took away his riffle and when he woke up the next morning pandemonium broke out because he knows what that implies”.
The four policemen who reported to the station the next morning were said to have told Mr. Luis Samba, the Divisional Police Officer of the loss of the firearm and he was said to be bewildered at the negligence of the policemen and ordered their detention until they produce the riffle.
When our reporter visited the police station on Tuesday morning, Mr Samba was said to be away to Calabar but another source said the riffle was yet to be recovered.
“How can four people sleep so deep that a thief could sneak in and remove a riffle without one of them at least waking from the slumber?” the source wondered.
The source which said he suspects foul play said the matter was being investigated at the divisional level and thereafter, “we shall notify the Command headquarters in Calabar if there is no headway here”.
Meanwhile there has been a wave of arrest of area boys in the area with the hope of gathering information that would lead to the recovery of the gun.
“The implication of such a weapon in the hands of hoodlums can only be imagined”. Our source said
D S P John Umoh, the Police Public Relations Officer for the Cross River State Command, said he was not aware of the incident but added if that “Is news worthy?”
Source: Crossriverwatch
