The Cross River State Police Command has confirmed the arrest of two serving police officers who were intercepted with firearms and ammunition amid the ongoing communal crisis between Ugep and Idomi communities.
The clarification followed a viral video circulating on social media alleging that the officers were arrested in connection with the conflict.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, the Police Public Relations Officer of the Cross River State Command, Eitokpah Akata, said the suspects were intercepted during a joint stop-and-search operation involving police officers and personnel of the Nigerian Army in Biase Local Government Area.
“The incident occurred on 5th May 2026, when two suspects riding on a motorcycle were intercepted during a routine stop-and-search operation conducted jointly by men of the Nigeria Police Force and personnel of the Nigerian Army in Biase Local Government Area of Cross River State,” the statement read.
According to the police, preliminary findings showed that the suspects are serving members of the police force attached to the Akwa Ibom State Police Command and were found in possession of firearms and live ammunition at the time of their interception.
The suspects were immediately taken into custody and subsequently transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department in Calabar, where a full-scale investigation is currently ongoing.
The Commissioner of Police in Cross River State, Rashid Afegbua, has ordered a comprehensive investigation to determine the motive, intent, and full circumstances surrounding the suspects’ actions.
The command assured residents that any individual found culpable would face the law regardless of status or affiliation.
