Robbers kill photo-journalist in Akwa Ibom

Suspected robbers killed a freelance photo-journalist, Samuel Ekerendu, in the early hours of Sunday. They invaded his apartment at Enen Abasi Street, Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital.

It was gathered that the robbers, midnight on Sunday, ravaged the Ayayatie Street, close to Itam Motor Park, few metres away from the “D” Division of the Nigerian Police, before proceeding to Itam West in continuation of their operation.

It was also gathered that the hoodlums robbed two houses behind St Paul’s Parish along Goodluck Jonathan Flyover, Ikot-Ekpene Road, where they allegedly carted away N300,000 from a woman at gunpoint before proceeding, unhindered, to 4, Enen Ikot-Abasi Street, Itam West, where the photo-journalist was reportedly killed in his flat, while trying to protect his camera and laptop.

A tenant in the building, who preferred not to be named for security reasons, said: “I live in the same compound with Samuel and I heard the gunshot that killed him.

“I hid two of my phones, laptop and kept two other less-expensive ones on the table so that they have something to go with.

“Samuel was the second person that was robbed in the compound. It was when we heard the second gunshot that neighbours alerted the police. The police came 30 minutes after the robbers had left with their loots. The work they did was only to remove Samuel’s corpse.”

When newsmen visited the house yesterday, it was almost deserted except for two tenants, who said they were too shocked and terrified to talk, with one adding that “the trauma of yesterday (Sunday) is still haunting us; there is no security in this country.”

The youth president of Ikot-Abasi Itam community, who refused to be named, said the robbers over-powered the internal security arrangement put in place by the community.

The state’s Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Chukwu Okechukwu, neither picked calls to his phone nor responded to text messages sent to same on the incident, while the lines of the Commissioner of Police, Donald Awunah, were not reachable at press time.