A police inspector, identified only as Osang, was brutally killed by some unknown gunmen who invaded his home in Uyo, the capital of Akwa Ibom State, on Wednesday night.
The incident, which happened around 8.30 pm, sent shockwaves across the state, as residents and passersby ran for their lives amid sporadic gunshots by the assailants.
A source from the community, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said the gunmen entered the inspector’s compound, located on a lane between Enen Afaha and Afaha Ube, and beheaded him before fleeing the scene.
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This was the third case of beheading in the state since January, following the gruesome murders of two women, one near the banking layout in Uyo and another at Nwaniba area, whose body parts were stuffed in a sack and dumped by the roadside.
The state police command confirmed the killing of the inspector and vowed to bring the culprits to justice.
The Police Public Relations Officer, Odiko Mac-Don, described the incident as “unfortunate” and said the Commissioner of Police, Olatoye Durosinmi, had ordered a discreet investigation into the matter.
He said: “We have received that information and it is an unfortunate situation. Already, the Commissioner of Police has ordered an investigation and we are committed to ridding the streets of criminal elements.”
He added: “We are not deterred by the incident but we are committed to ensuring that, criminally minded persons will account for their actions.”
The state governor, Umo Eno, also condemned the killing and warned criminals to stay away from the state, saying he would not tolerate any breach of peace and security.
He said: “If criminals believe that Akwa Ibom State is a place for them to hibernate, I am warning them to stay away. We have credible intelligence that there are those ones living among us…we will come after you and we will use every layer of our intelligence available to track you.”
He made the statement at a gala night for service commanders who have been transferred from the state, and the newly promoted Military Generals from Akwa Ibom state.