Man arrested after friend killed in dispute over ₦500 in Yakurr
The police in Cross River State have arrested a man accused of stabbing his friend to death after a disagreement over ₦500, the force said.
Police named the victim as Ayei Ekpe Ibor, 42, and said he was killed at Kekoti, Ajere, in Yakurr Local Government Area. The suspect was identified as Ebino Ikpi, also named in one report as Ebino Mbang Ikpi. Both details were reported by state police and published by Vanguard and Premium Times.
Vanguard reported the killing happened on Saturday afternoon, while Premium Times said the incident occurred at about 1 a.m. Police statements have not resolved the discrepancy.
Both news outlets said the disagreement followed an argument over ₦500 that had been given to both men as a gift, and that the dispute escalated into a fight during which Mr Ibor was stabbed and later confirmed dead.
The police said officers traced and arrested the suspect at about 8:40 a.m. on Sunday at a hideout in the Ajere-Ekori area and took him to the Yakurr Police Division for detention and investigation, according to both reports.
After the arrest, the police said sympathisers and other persons allegedly mobilised and attacked the Ekori Police Division, demanding the suspect’s release. The force reported the crowd threw stones and damaged the station. Premium Times quoted the police as saying the attack reportedly “damaged seven windows, the DPO/DCO office door, six plastic chairs, a wall mirror and part of the station’s roofing.” The passenger-side glass of the DPO’s official vehicle was also allegedly broken, the statement added.
The residence of the Ajere Youth Leader, Omini Jacob, was also allegedly attacked, the police said, because the attackers believed he had helped with the arrest.
Commissioner of Police Ajo Geoffrey Ordue has directed that the suspect be transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department, SCID, for further investigation, and ordered intensified efforts to identify and arrest those involved in the attack on the station, the reports said.
“The Command urges members of the public to remain calm and law-abiding,” Mr Sunday Eitokpah, the state police spokesperson, was quoted as saying by Premium Times.
Police operatives, the reports said, dispersed the crowd, restored normalcy and reinforced the station with additional security. The investigation into the killing and the attack on the Ekori Division is ongoing.
Featured image: MediaMOF via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Leave a comment