Police in Ugep, Yakurr local government area of Cross River State has shot a chancellorship aspirant of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to dead in Ugep.
Trouble started when some Itighidi youths attempted to burn down the Police station in the area over the alleged arrest of their kinsmen.
DAILY POST gathered that Itighidi community in Abi local government area of Cross River State had some misunderstanding with some Fulani Herdsmen in the area and in the process some cows were allegedly killed.
Consequently, the Divisional Police Officer (DPO), our investigations revealed invited the community leaders and the headsmen to Ugep divisional police station for the settlement of the mater.
An eyewitness who refused to give his name said that the youths in Itighidi who heard that their traditional rulers and Chiefs were taken to Ugep, stormed the Police station and attempted to burn it down if their people were not released.
“In the process, one of the young men was shot dead by the Police,” he told DAILY POST.
The victim, it was gathered was an APC counsellorship aspirant in Itighidi.
The incident occurred on Monday and a resident confided in our correspondent that Fulani Herdsmen invaded Itighidi, the hometown of the former governor of Cross River State, Senator Liyel Imoke.
When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) Ms Irene Ugbo regretted the incident saying, “It is not Fulani herdsmen that attacked and killed the victim.
“The problem is that, the community had problem with Fulani herdsmen whereby some cows were slaughtered. And it was reported at the Division”.
ASP Ugbo explained further “What happened was that the DPO invited the community leaders to come so they can settle with the herdsmen based on the cows that were slaughtered.
“DPO invited them to the Station, the Abi youths got the information wrongly that the DPO had arrested their community leaders.
“They were so angry, but that was not the right information; so they started making troubles. They went to the Division and wanted to burn down the division; they were even fighting the police.
“In that process, they started throwing all sorts of things on the Police, threatening to burn the police station and in that process, one of them was shot.”
On why the matter was not handle at in Itighidi Police station rather than taken it to Ugep in Yakurr LGA, she said, “Is it not the same thing? As far as it is the police, it is the same thing to handle any case at any station.
“They would have laid their complaints rightly and Ugep Division would have transferred the case to Itighidi Division. It is a very simple case,” she stated.
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