“Viral Shooting Video Triggers Arrest of UNICROSS Student in Calabar”

A celebration meant to mark the end of university examinations has taken a darker turn in Calabar after a viral gun video triggered a police investigation.

The Cross River State Police Command has arrested a 24-year-old student of the University of Cross River State, UNICROSS, over footage allegedly showing a man firing shots from a moving vehicle.

The video circulated in the early hours of September 17, prompting the Commissioner of Police, Ajo Geoffrey Ordue, to order the immediate identification of those involved.

Police said operatives of the Violence Crime Response Unit tracked the vehicle captured in the footage at about 11:30pm on September 17. The driver was arrested first.

Information obtained during the operation allegedly led investigators to a hotel in Calabar, where they arrested Emmanuel Ejim, the 24-year-old UNICROSS student.

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According to the police, Ejim allegedly identified himself during questioning as a leader of the Vikings Confraternity and allegedly admitted to being the person seen firing the shots.

Police also said he claimed he had participated in a sign-out activity and that another suspected member of the group handed him the pistol allegedly used in the incident.

The command has intensified efforts to identify and arrest others connected to the incident.It is also investigating how the firearm was obtained and the circumstances surrounding the movement of the vehicle.

The case has once again exposed the thin line between youthful celebration and dangerous behaviour in public spaces.

A sign-out ceremony can mark the end of one chapter and the beginning of another. But when firearms enter the picture, celebration can quickly become a security matter.

ValidViewNetwork reports that the police investigation is ongoing and that the allegations against the arrested student have not been determined by a court.