The Cross River State Police Command has arrested two serving police officers attached to the Akwa Ibom State Command over alleged unlawful possession of firearms in connection with the ongoing Ugeo Idomi communal crisis.
Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Sunday Eitokpah, confirmed the development in a statement made available to journalists in Calabar on Thursday.
According to the statement, the suspects were intercepted on Tuesday during a joint stop and search operation conducted by personnel of the police and the Nigerian Army in Biase Local Government Area of Biase.
Eitokpah explained that the officers were travelling on a motorcycle when they were stopped and searched, leading to the discovery of firearms and live ammunition in their possession.
He said preliminary investigations suggested the suspects were carrying the weapons under circumstances currently being examined by investigators.
The officers have since been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department in Calabar for further interrogation and a full scale investigation.
Calabar serves as the headquarters of the investigation, where authorities are working to determine the motive behind their actions and any possible link to the escalating communal tensions.
The Commissioner of Police, CP Rashid Afegbua, has ordered a comprehensive probe into the incident and assured the public that the command remains committed to accountability and transparency.
He also emphasized that no individual, regardless of rank or status, would be shielded from justice if found culpable.
The arrest comes amid rising tensions in the Ugeo Idomi crisis area, where renewed hostilities between the communities have intensified in recent weeks, raising security concerns across the region.
Authorities say efforts are ongoing to restore peace and prevent further escalation of violence.
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