Kidnappers Kill Pastor, As Police Rescue 4 Victims In C’River
By Ndifereke BASSEY
The Cross River State Police Command has rescued four victims abducted Sunday morning, April 28 some gunmen.
Spokesperson for the command, Superintendent Irene Ugbo, who made this known in a chat with newsmen in Calabar on Monday, disclosed that a pastor was killed during the attack while another victim is receiving treatment at a medical facility in Ikom.
According to Ugbo, four kidnap victims were rescued by the police on Monday April 29, 2024.
Ugbo said: “ Yes, they were more than that number, four have been rescued. We are aware that one of the pastors died and one is receiving treatment.
“So we are on it. That is the discussion that the CP and his management team… we just had now. It is the Ikom Area that we are focusing on now.”
Yesterday incident has caused panic in the area as motorists and commuters from Ikom, Etung, Boki, Ogoja, Yala, Bekwarra, Obanliku and Odudu were scared of plying the route which is the only access road from the north and central senatorial districts to Calabar the state capital.
THE BEAGLE NEWS gathered that management of one of the private tertiary institutions in the area on Monday morning asked their staff, who commute through the black spot to stay at home for fear of being kidnapped for ransom.
The attacked took place on Sunday morning between 6:30 am and 7:00am at Nde 3 Corners in Ikom Local Government Area, Cross River State, near late Nta Ekoma’s plantation.
A residents of Nde who simply identified himself as Ekome, told THE BEAGLE NEWS that there was sporadic shooting around the area that morning for about 30 minutes.
Ekome added that at the end of the shooting a man simply identified as a pastor was sot dead while another who was also shot is receiving treatment at a medical facility (name withheld) in Ikom.
According to him, the victims were travellers en route Calabar when the were attacked by the kidnappers.
Other sources from Nde, claimed that three persons returning from church were also abducted by the kidnappers.
Nde for quite a while now has been a hotbed for kidnapping in Cross River State, especially between December 2023 and January 2024.
Some suspects were arrested and are facing prosecution.
