Suspected armed robbers have shot dead an unidentified commercial motorcyclist in Ikot Ambang, Ibiono Ibom Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State, and escaped with his motorcycle, cash and mobile phone.
The incident occurred near the community hall along the Ikot Ambang stretch of the Uyo–Ikot Ekpene Highway, barely a few kilometres from Uyo, the state capital.
An eyewitness, Mr. Enobong Usen, a Point of Sale (POS) operator in the area, said the attackers struck at about 6:00 a.m. after trailing the victim on another motorcycle.
According to Usen, the assailants accosted the motorcyclist at gunpoint near the town hall, where a brief struggle ensued as the victim attempted to resist.
“Within seconds, one of the attackers shot him at close range. He fell off the motorcycle immediately. The gunmen then searched his pockets, took his phone and other valuables, mounted the motorcycle and escaped through adjoining village routes,” he said.
Reacting to the incident, a community youth leader, Comrade Ofonmbuk Udo, expressed concern over the rising insecurity in communities on the outskirts of Uyo, noting that the identity of the deceased was yet to be established.
He disclosed that the corpse had been deposited at a private morgue in the community, adding that the incident has threatened a sense of safety of many residents of the area.
Udo called on security agencies to intensify patrols beyond the Uyo city centre, lamenting what he described as the neglect of neighbouring local government areas.
“Since the yuletide period, there has been heavy police presence within Uyo, with multiple checkpoints causing traffic congestion and alleged extortion of motorists. Meanwhile, outskirts such as Ikot Ambang in Ibiono Ibom, Itam in Itu LGA, and Itak in Ikono LGA remain largely under-policed and exposed to criminal activities,” he said.
Efforts to reach the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), DSP Timfon John, proved unsuccessful as calls to her phone were unanswered.
However, police sources at the nearby Itam Police Station confirmed the incident and said investigations had commenced, assuring that operatives were on the trail of the suspects with a view to bringing them to justice.
