Angry commercial drivers along the Aka – Nnung road have threatened to disrupt transportation business following the gruesome murder of their colleague by police officers that mounted a roadblock at the Nnung Oku roundabout in Ibesikpo Asutan local government area at about 3:00pm on Wednesday.

An eye witness, Effiong Akpan, a commercial motorcyclist operating from the roundabout through the new ring road to Shelter Afrique Estate, told LEADERSHIP that the incident happened “when the policemen started shooting randomly on the approaching criminal suspects.”

He recalled that the suspects on two vehicles loaded with contraband rice had tried to manoeuvre their way through the checkpoint, forcing the Policeman to raise the alarm, which was immediately accompanied by sporadic shooting as the suspects quickly reversed and escaped.

“As the two vehicles approached the checkpoint, the policemen were on alert as it seemed they had earlier been tipped on the approaching vehicles.

“The policemen tried to accost, but they sensed danger and quickly reversed as there were not too many vehicles on the road because of the prevailing fuel crisis, which has forced many to park their vehicles.

“It was in the process of ensuring the suspects were caged that they resorted to random shooting and the deceased driver was caught in the head by one of the stray bullets, as he was shouting and calling passengers to board his taxi to Eket LGA.”

Scared of reprisal, the police operatives fled the scene while some sympathetic colleagues took the corpse to the mortuary.

The police public relations officer (PPRO), ASP Timfon John, confirmed the incident.

LEADERSHIP