Magistrate Court Remands Killer Cop, Adjourns Case To April 14
A Calabar Chief Magistrate Court has ordered the killer cop Inspector Effiong Bassey, to be remanded in the Nigerian Correctional Centre pending when the case will be come up for hearing on April 14.
The killer cop had on Sunday morning opened fire on passersby following his engagement in a heated argument with his colleagues around Atakpa Divisional police Headquarters leaving a 41-year old mother of one Mrs. Ijeoma Wilson who is said to be a wife to another police man dead and with others with various degree of bullet injuries.
However, officer in charge of Legal, superintendent Otu Ubangah,of the state Police Command approached the court seeking a motion exparte to remand the killer cop inspector while waiting for legal advice from the state Attorney General.
Superintendent Ubangah told the court that his application was supported by a six paragraph affidavit and a written address.
In her ruling at court 1, Moore Road Calabar Monday afternoon, in suit No. MC/199/25, Chief Magistrate Mercy Ene, adjourned the case to April 14, 2025 for the State Department for Public Prosecution, DPP, report.
The magistrate ruled that Inspector Bassey should be remanded at the Calabar Correctional centre pending legal advice from the state Attorney General of Cross River State Ededem Ani.
Earlier, the state police command (Cross River State) in a statement made available to newsmen however regrets to inform the public of a tragic incident that occurred today, 23rd March, 2025, at the Divisional Police Headquarters in Atakpa, Calabar.
The police statement signed by its Public Relations Officer Police PPRO SP Irene Ugbo, stressed that Inspector Effiong Bassey, serving at Atakpa Divisional returned from his night duty at Ekondo Microfinance Bank and began to exhibit abnormal behavior.
Igbo stated that the police Inspector Bassey refused to hand over the AK-47 rifle he was assigned, instead proceeded to block the station's gate, preventing anyone from gaining entrance or leaving the premises adding that every effort to stop hom from making trouble failed.
Tactical Units/Patrol teams were deployed to the scene, where Inspector Bassey, suspected to be mentally deranged, opened fire on bystanders who had been instructed to leave the area.
The police confirmed that three individuals were struck by the officer's stray bullets, including Ijeoma Wilson Obot, a 41-year-old female, who later succumbed to her injuries. The other two victims, Charles Mkpang and another individual, are currently receiving medical treatment and are in stable condition.
The Police authority appealed to victims' families to be calm and not to take laws into their hands as the police are doing everything humanly possible to unravel the mystery behind the unfortunate incident for justice to be done.
SOURCE: LEADERSHIP
