A police officer suspected to be mentally unstable went on a rampage on Sunday, in Calabar, Cross Rivers capital, shooting three people, one of whom died immidiately.
The shocking incident occurred at the Atakpaa Division police station, near the bustling Watt Market.
Sources revealed that the officer had been displaying signs of mental distress, but his colleagues hesitated to confront him.
According to a source, he suddenly began to fire shots into the air, causing panic. Officers reportedly fled, some even scaling the fence into the nearby Yoruba Line section of the market.
He started shooting sporadically into the air. At that moment many of the policemen ran away. Eyewitnesses said after an initial round of gunfire, the officer walked toward the road and resumed shooting, hitting three unsuspecting victims.
Following the attack, fear gripped the Watt Market area, with traders abandoning their stalls while others huddled in shock, discussing the tragedy. Confirming the development, spokesperson for the command, SP Irene Ugbo said: “The Inspector returned from a night duty in the morning and while he was supposed to submit his rifle, he refused to, went outside and suddenly began acting irrationally, shooting sporadically and warning people to stay away.
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“Unfortunately, Before he was held down three people were hit. One woman has died, while two others are in critical condition. The officer has been arrested and is in custody.”
She added that though his mental state is yet to be officially confirmed, the police authority has directed that the officer should be dismissed.
“Though it hasn’t been ascertained, we suspected he is mentally ill and the AIG has directed that he should be dismissed immediately,” she said.
“By tomorrow, he is going to be dismissed and taken to court to face the full wrath of the law.”
