Six teenage robbers armed with knives, pistols and other implements pounced on an elderly woman whose age was estimated at 65 and smashed her head.
Her name was not immediately known but the incident happened on Oron Street not far from the Mbukpa axis in the Calabar South Local Government Area.
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It happened at about 10.30pm on New Year’s Eve in the presence of her son whom the robbers had already overpowered and dispossessed of his phone and other belongings.
According to another victim, James Akpan, who is a resident of the area, the robbers first attacked and robbed him of his handset and cash.
The old woman had resisted the robbers whose ages were estimated to be under 20.
“I was on my way to church for the Cross-Over night service on New Year’s Eve when six young boys accosted me.
“They just asked forcefully that I surrender what I was holding.
“Because of their ages I wanted to resist, but they brought out small guns and knives.
“They took my android handset. Searched my pockets and collected the little cash on me as well as my house keys.
“And then called me stupid and ordered me to run. I did not. They were all masked.
“When they left me, they stopped an elderly woman and her son who also live on the same Iron Street.
“They dispossessed the son of his phone and other valuables.
”They ordered the poor old woman to surrender her phone, she shouted that she cannot surrender the new phone her children bought for her.
“It was at this point that one of them used the small gun in his hand to hit the woman’s head and blood gushed out,” Akpan narrated.
He vowed that he will take revenge against any suspected robber by helping to set him ablaze instantly.
In a similar incident, another young man was returning from the night event when he was waylaid by another set of robbers on Adak Uko Street off Mbukpa Road Calabar.
He tried to run by refusing to submit to the robbers.
They thoroughly beat him and collected his phone.
Reacting, the police Public Relations Officer (PRO) in the state, Irene Ugbo, denied knowledge of the incidents, but assured that the Operation Apakwu had spread its tentacles over the city and beyond and would pick up the suspects.
