Osamagbe Imadiyi
Prince, a final-year Akwa Ibom State Polytechnic student studying computer science, was shot and killed by gunmen in the Ikot Ekpene Local Government Area early on Wednesday morning.
According to reports, Prince was killed in front of his girlfriend during the attack at his home on Abuja Street in the Ikot Osurua community. The victim received a gunshot wound to the stomach while awaiting mobilization for the mandatory National Youth Service Corps program.
The gunmen entered the compound at around one in the morning and proceeded straight to Prince’s room, according to a source in the polytechnic community. The source, who wished to remain anonymous, claimed that after the victim’s girlfriend sounded the alarm, nearby residents hurried to the scene.
Prince was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
A local resident described the victim as a well-known community figure and an active member of his church’s choral group, recalling seeing him just hours before the attack.
The attack was connected to a robbery and cult-related operation, according to DSP Timfon John, the Police Public Relations Officer in Akwa Ibom State. “Our information suggests that there was a cult-related operation and robbery nearby. The student was shot by the attackers who broke in during the heist. There is an investigation going on,” he stated. The tragic event has left the community in shock, and many are calling for increased security in the area.