… Ten confirmed dead, situation volatile
By Joseph Effiong, Calabar
At least ten persons have been confirmed dead as two confraternities known as KKK and Supreme Viking embarked on supremacy war in Calabar for four days running.
Many panic-stricken residents of the ancient city believe the war, which started last Thursday, is not unconnected with the recent assassination of a lecturer in Accounting,in the University of Calabar, Dr. Emmanuel Igbeng,He is suspected to have murdered by gunman who are members of Viking.
Igbeng was alleged to be a top KKK member but this could not be verified by our reporter. The KKK was said to have launched a retaliatory attack on Viking with harvest of dead bodies littering Calabar Streets.
Our reporter gathered that, Igbeng, who received his Ph.D degree at the 30th convocation ceremony of UNICAL, few days before his assassination, was killed at the gate of his house located at Asuquo Abasi Street, in Calabar South, last Thursday.
His girlfriend, who was with him at the time of the attack, was also shot while struggling to stop the gunmen from carrying out their assignment. She was rushed to the hospital but it could not be established, as at press time, whether or not she survived the gunshot injuries.
A source, who preferred anonymity, said two other unidentified persons were ambushed and killed on that same Thursday by the Vikings while on Friday morning the KKK group stormed a popular hangout around Atekong Drive at about 7pm and killed two Viking members.
Our source said, that one person, identified as Effiong, alias ‘Atilolo’ was shot dead along Ambition Supermarket, by Maple Street. oneother was killed on each of Lugard Street and Queen Duke street, while yet another person was shot dead at popular Etim Edem motor park.”
Meanwhile, security has been beefed up in different locations in Calabar particularly in Calabar South where it is believed many of the cultists reside. The stop and search exercise of the security agencies has intensified while shop owners close for the day as early as 6pm for fear of the unknown.
In a telephone interview, the spokesman for Cross River State Police Command, Irene Ugbo said it was difficult to ascertain the actual number of those killed so far but that the police was doing their best to stop the mayhem.
This war is coming barely two weeks after the kidnap of a zoology lecturer Edet Ekpenyong on his routine morning jogging exercise inside the university campus. Family members say the kidnappers are demanding N50 million ransom.
The Commissioner of Police, Cross River State, Hafiz Inuwa,had said three persons were arrested in connection with the kidnap and assured that the kidnapped lecturer would soon regain his freedom.