1 Guard Shot Dead As Gunmen Attack Calabar Correctional Centre

The Calabar Correctional Centre in Cross River State has reacted to the attack on its facility by gunmen, confirming the death one personnel, Mr Polycarp Essien, who was caught up in the crossfire with the unknown gunmen on Wednesday evening.

Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the Nigeria Correctional Service (NCoS) in Calabar, Suprintendent Effangha Etim, revealed this on Thursday in a telephone interview with LEADERSHIP.

The PRO said that the armed men stormed the backside of the Correctional Centre and launched an attack on the facility, shooting sporadically to scare the officers on duty so that they can gain access into the facility.

“Our men had no option than to repel the attack. Unfortunately, we lost one of the officers in that fight and got the armed gunmen overpowered.

“So far, we are currently trying to carry out an investigation to unravel the mystery behind this attack,” Etim stated.

Our correspondent reports that gunmen suspected to be militants had on Wednesday evening launched attack on the custodial facility in Calabar, which is located around Afokang community, Calabar South LGA of Cross River State and killed one of the custodial officials on duty, Mr. Polycarp Essien.

The gunmen were said to have come from one of the nearby creeks to unleash mayhem on the Correctional Centre before fleeing back into the creeks with gunshot injuries upon realising the superior firepower of the correctional officers.