C'River Police Recover Head Of Slain Inspector, Parade 186 Robbery Suspects, 342 Others

Suspects paraded by Cross River State Police yesterday in Calabar

By Emma Unah

The head  severed from the body of an inspector of police  killed on Christmas Day has been recovered  in a shrine by the police  in Cross River with  his killers arrested and paraded   on Thursday afternoon along with  a  horde of  other suspects alleged to have carried out criminal activities in the state during the yuletide season.

The suspects numbering  529  were  said to have been arrested for various criminal activities  spanning armed robbery,  murder, kidnappings, vandalization of public facilities, murder,  arson, defilement among others.

Also paraded were weapons and ammunition used by the suspects to perpetuate the crimes which include 234 assorted guns including pump action riffles, baretta pistols,  English pump action riffles, double barrel guns  were recovered from them.

The State Commissioner of Police, Hafiz  Inuwa who paraded the suspects said 186 persons were nabbed for armed robbery, 83 for murder, 60 for cultism, 80 for illegal possession of firearms, 29 for stealing and conspiracy while 4 were arrested for defiling underage girls.

“The year 2018 has come with another success story as a land mark in the Command’s efforts to maintain peace and order, protection of lives and property and prevention of crime in the state.

“A huge success has been recorded within the period in the run up to the Christmas celebration and first few days of this month of this year with a lot of persons arrested for various offences and lots of evidence recovered from them”

He said three pump action riffles, one  AK 47riffles, four locally made revolvers, one Enllish double Barrel gun and, seven locally made single barrel guns, three locally made shot guns, thirty seven locally made pistols, four locally made baretta pistols, thirty seven live cartridges, seventeen empty cartridges  one digger were recovered from the suspects.

“We also recovered twenty three plasma television set, three ATM cards, three air conditioners, fourteen refrigerators, one dry human skull, four machetes , charms , Indian hemp, ash colour Toyota, one DAF truck, a trailer load of textbooks”.

speaking on the killers of the policeman, Inuwa said on the 25th of December,  2017, one Inspector Michael Umoh attached to the Special Anti robbery Squad, SArs,  in Enugu who  was on a visit with his family to his in-laws in the village of Ojor went to  Uyangha in Akamkpa Local Government Area  which is a neighbouring village to Ojor  to buy fuel but was attacked by  youths of Uyangha  without provocation, killed and beheaded and the  head  taken to a shrine in the village of Uyangha.

“His  AK 47, riffle with double magazine  was taken by his assailants  and  his siernna car set  ablaze . His body   body is  yet to be seen but his head was recovered at a shrine and investigation into the case led to arrest of Ophot Valentine Ebani, 54 years, ( the village head of Uyangha), Isaac James Akpan, Benjamin Phiilp, Patrick Effiong, Famous Mfon, Effiong Peter, Ndifon Arong, and Wisdom Bassey Inok,”

The police Commissioner said five persons were arrested for breaking into the hotel of a former Senator, Greg Ngaji at the GRA Ogoja and destroying 21 foreign doors and making away with six refrigerators, three plasma television sets, 21, rug carpets and several other items,

He said the suspects arrested for the stealing include Francis Mowang, Taiwo Abang, Fredrick Aleji.

He warned that the command will not rest until all those who took part in the killing of the policeman area arrested while others who have any intentions or plans to engage in cultism would be arrested and brought to book.