A 42-year-old man has been killed following a disagreement over a N500 in the Yakurr Local Government Area of Cross River State.

The state police command said the deceased, Ayei Ibor, was allegedly stabbed to death during a fight with one Ebino Ikpi at Kekoti, Ajere.

The state Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Sunday Eitokpah, disclosed this in a statement on Sunday in Calabar.

Mr Eitokpah said the incident occurred at about 1:00 a.m. on Saturday, after a misunderstanding broke out between the two men over N500 said to have been given to them as a gift.

He said the argument escalated into a fight in which Ibor was stabbed and later confirmed dead.

According to him, the suspect fled the scene immediately after the incident, but was later arrested at about 8:40 a.m. at his hideout in Ajere-Ekori and taken to the Yakurr Police Division.

The PPRO said the arrest triggered another crisis when some sympathisers mobilised and attacked the Ekori Police Division, demanding the suspect’s release.

He said the mob, on discovering that the suspect was not in the station, threw stones and other objects at the facility, damaging seven windows, the DPO/DCO office door, six plastic chairs, a wall mirror, part of the roofing and the passenger-side glass of the DPO’s official vehicle.

He added that the residence of the Ajere Youth Leader, Omini Jacob, was also attacked over an allegation that he assisted the police in arresting the suspect.

Mr Eitokpah said operatives later dispersed the crowd and restored normalcy, while reinforcement was drafted from the Area Command, Ugep, and the Violence and Cultism-Related Unit (VCRU), Ugep.

He said the state Commissioner of Police, Ajo Ordue, ordered the transfer of the murder suspect to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) for further investigation and a manhunt for those who attacked the police facility.

The command urged residents to remain calm and law-abiding, warning that attacks on police formations and obstruction of criminal investigations would be dealt with in accordance with the law.

(NAN)