By Deborah Nnamdi
A tragedy unfolded on Tuesday evening in Calabar when an Inspector of Police, Stephen Enang, reportedly collapsed and passed away shortly after watching Arsenal’s 3-0 victory over Spanish giants Real Madrid.
Inspector Enang, a native of Ekori in the Yakurr Local Government Area of Cross River State, was attached to the Akim Police Division along IBB Way, Calabar.
A close friend of his, who witnessed the incident and asked to remain anonymous, described the shocking moment it occurred.
“We were watching the match at a viewing center on Abang-Asang Street. He was in great spirits—healthy, happy, and cheering for every goal. Arsenal scored the first, second, and third goals, and he was overjoyed,” the witness said.
“He jumped up in excitement multiple times. But after the final whistle, when everyone started leaving, we noticed Stephen wasn’t getting up like the rest of us. That’s when we realized something was wrong.”
According to the eyewitness, Enang had slumped in his seat and was unresponsive. He was immediately rushed to the Police Hospital in Akim, where medical personnel made frantic efforts to revive him, but he was pronounced dead.
“He was soft-spoken, football-loving, and an ardent Arsenal supporter. This came as a huge shock to all of us,” the friend added.
At the time of reporting, attempts to contact the Cross River State Police Command Public Relations Officer, SP Irene Ugbo, for an official statement were unsuccessful. Calls went unanswered, and messages sent to her received no response.
