Obudu DPO was killed in accidental discharge – Police

Nsa Gill, Calabar

The Commissioner of Police in Cross River State Nkereuwem Akpan has confirmed the dead of a Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in Obudu local government area of Cross River State, Mr Gabriel Amawu during a face-off with some protesting youths from the College of Education Obudu on Tuesday night.

According to the Commissioner of Police, the late DPO was not shot dead in the fracas that ensued at the Obudu Police Station between the protesting youths and students of the college of Education Obudu. Rather he died from accidental discharge from a gun he was trying to load.

The CP told our Correspondent that the incident occurred on Tuesday night when some youths and students from the Federal College of Education suspected to be cultists were arrested and taken to the station.

The students and youths mobilized in large number besieged the station and the Police in an effort to disperse the crowd shot on air and succeeded to disperse them.

Coincidentally the late DPO was trying to load his magazine but suffered an accidental discharge from the gun he was loading.

A witness who declined giving his details alleged that when the large crowd invaded the station, there was rowdy session which led to a Police officer discharging his weapon in the air but said, “It is still unclear how Mr. Amawu whom initially, reports says he was shot in the head, but nobody can ascertain which of the bullet killed him”.

The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) Deputy Superintendent of Police in Calabar, Irene Ugbo also spoke of the incident noting that in-depth investigations were being carried out.

“I am aware a suspected cultist was arrested and he was taken to the station and the students of that area went to the station protesting with a view to rescuing the suspect, in the process, the Police tried to discharge the crowd.

“We don’t really know what happened or transpired, who released the bullet, was it from the students or the Police, we are investigating to ascertain the bullet that killed him. This morning, we have deployed some men to the area because we are having some threat from the community.

“Very soon we will know what actually happened but there are some many angles to it, we have some of the students in our custody already, the youths and students should remained camp pending detail investigations which has commenced,” she stated.

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