The Cross River State Police Command has confirmed the arrest of two serving police officers allegedly found with firearms and live ammunition during a security operation in Biase Local Government Area of the state.
The command said the officers were intercepted amid the lingering communal crisis between the Ugep and Idomi communities.
The clarification followed a viral video on social media claiming that the officers were apprehended in connection with the communal conflict.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, the command’s spokesperson, SP Eitokpah Akata, explained that the suspects were stopped during a joint stop-and-search operation carried out by personnel of the Nigeria Police Force and the Nigerian Army on May 5, 2026.
According to the statement, the two suspects were riding on a motorcycle when they were intercepted by security operatives in Biase.
Akata disclosed that preliminary investigations revealed that the suspects are serving police officers attached to the Akwa Ibom State Police Command.
The police spokesperson added that firearms and live ammunition were recovered from the suspects at the time of their arrest.
He said the officers were immediately taken into custody and later transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department in Calabar for further investigation.
“The suspects were immediately taken into custody and subsequently transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department, Calabar, where a full-scale investigation is currently ongoing,” the statement noted.
The Commissioner of Police in the state, Rashid Afegbua, has reportedly ordered a detailed investigation into the incident to determine the motive behind the officers’ actions.
Akata stated that the police command remained committed to transparency and accountability, assuring residents that anyone found culpable would face the full weight of the law regardless of rank or affiliation.
The command also urged residents to remain calm and continue supporting security agencies with useful information capable of preventing further unrest in the affected communities.