Fatal Shooting on Cross River Cocoa Farm Prompts Police Manhunt for Three

The Cross River State Police Command has initiated a rigorous search for three individuals implicated in the fatal shooting of a cocoa farm labourer during an assault on an agricultural property within the Boki Local Government Area of the state. The tragic event unfolded on Wednesday, August 5, at a cocoa farm located in Isibendeghe Community. Reports indicate that three workers were engaged in their duties when the attackers allegedly opened fire.

According to a statement issued by the state's police spokesperson, Sunday Eitokpah, on Wednesday, one of the workers, identified as Joseph Friday, succumbed to gunshot wounds. The other two labourers managed to escape the scene unharmed. The police stated that the attack was reported to the Boki Police Station around 1:25 p.m. by Ms. Etta Ado, who claimed that three men from the Boje Community assaulted her cocoa farm.

Ms. Ado further identified the alleged perpetrators as Patrick Otu Debang, James Osa, and an individual known only as “Pepsi.” She informed law enforcement officials that the suspects “opened fire on the workers, fatally shooting one Joseph Francis Friday.” The complainant also disclosed that these individuals “had persistently harassed and threatened her over activities at the farm before the incident.”

The report indicated that two other workers, Clinton Abang and Amobi Igwe, fled the scene immediately following the attack. They subsequently returned to Ms. Ado to relay the details of what had transpired. Following the report, detectives from the Boki Division visited the crime scene. The police confirmed that “the corpse of the deceased was recovered with multiple pellet wounds consistent with injuries inflicted by a locally made firearm, with penetrations to the chest and abdomen.” The body has since been deposited in a mortuary for an autopsy. Authorities affirmed that investigations are actively underway to apprehend the suspects currently at large, promising that “further developments will be communicated accordingly.”