Phone snatchers chop off girl’s hand in Calabar

Armed men have invaded shops in Calabar South of Cross River State and chopped off the hand of a young woman after dispossessing her of her belongings. The four suspected robbers also dispossessed some passersby of their handsets, valuables and money on Tuesday night on the popular Ambo Street in Calabar South.

An eyewitness, Mr. Umoh, who was watching from his hideout, said the woman was attacked with a machete by one of the robbers when she attempted to struggle with the robbers for her handbag.

Umoh said: “The incident happened at about 8:00p.m. We saw when one of them drew out his cutlass and severed the woman’s left hand, which made her to become weak. She wanted to wriggle herself away from the bad boys who were stabbing innocent people and collecting their phones and money.”

He said the woman, whose hand was dangling, was later catered to by some passersby who rushed her to a nearby hospital. Reports also confirmed that another gang had entered shops in surrounding streets and looted goods at gunpoint.

Commissioner of Police, Hafiz Inuwa Mohammed, had earlier assured the people the state that the command has decided to pay special attention to the Calabar South, which is notorious for crime.

According to the police boss, “last month, across the state we arrested 85 cultists, armed robbers and kidnappers who will soon face trial. We have a special team deployed to the notorious Calabar South, and I assure that we will return confidence to the people living there,” he said.