Gunmen shoot father, abduct sons in Cross River

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Gunmen numbering about four at the weekend stormed the residence of one Etim Ita in Atimbo village, Akpabuyo Local Government Area of Cross River State and abducted his two sons. The hoodlums, who invaded the house of the farmer about 4pm on Friday, forcibly took away the boys whose names were given as Archibong (5) and Joshoua (3).
Before escaping with the children, however, they shot the father on his left lap to incapacitate him. Recounting his ordeals while writhing in pain in his house, Ita, who had five children before the incident, said he was sleeping with his family in his two-room apartment in the village when the gunmen hit the door and pulled it down before gaining access to the room.
He said: “I was sleeping with my family when, about 4pm, I heard a loud bang on my door. Before I could stand up, I saw three men standing in the siting room where I was sleeping. They asked me to lie down but I challenged them.”

Ita said he struggled with the hoodlums which attracted his wife and the children who were sleeping in the next room. He added: “When my wife and children came to the parlour, the men asked them to lie down. It was at this point that one of them pointed a gun at my lap and shot me. Before I knew it, they had taken Archibong and Joshua and ran out.”
The moment they ran out, Ita’s wife said she went after them but they had a waiting taxi, painted in the state colour of blue and white, which zoomed off with their victims.
“Since I could not pursue them because of the wound, my wife and first daughter pursued them but the taxi which brought them sped off immediately they jumped in the vehicle with the children,” Ita said.
He added that though he shouted for help, none came although a Police College is just about 700 metres away. When contacted, the state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), ASP Hogan Bassey, confirmed the incident. The PPRO said that he had just received the report of the incident, adding that investigation into the matter was would commence soon.
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