Four Chinese nationals were reportedly kidnapped and a police officer killed by hoodlums in Cross River State.
The names of the kidnapped Chinese were given as Kan Jinxi, Hujinchang, Jiang Jijun and Cheng Qing, while the officer, Sgt Ifere Sampson, a guard attached to them, lost his life in a gun duel.
The Chinese were abducted at their granite construction site located at Oban community in Akampka Local Government Area at about 7:00 pm Tuesday night and were taken to an unknown destination.
Reports said that the gunmen numbering about eight stormed the company premises with three tinted cars including an Audi and a Camry, opened fire on the officer, who replied but was later overpowered by the firepower of the abductors.
Sources from the granite company said that the abductors had not called to demand for ransom and that the incident has made the foreigners doing business in the Akamkpa area to go into hiding.
Reports from the locals in the area allege that hoodlums have been terrorizing companies operating in the area and that many of the companies are made to pay what they called ‘toll’ to the hoodlums on monthly basis.
Police spokeswoman DSP Irene Ugbo confirmed that a police officer was killed during the unfortunate incident and assured that the police was on top of the situation.
‘‘As I speak with you, the Deputy Commissioner of Police and some team of officers are on their way to the area and I will give you more details.
I cannot really tell you much about the details of the unfortunate incident but as they conduct preliminary investigations I will give you extra details,’’ she said.