The Cross River State Police Command has expressed worry over the alleged infiltration of the state by unauthorised, questionable characters and suspected criminals.
Briefing newsmen at the Police Headquarters in Calabar, the State Commissioner of Police, Sikiru Akande, lamented the actions of the suspected criminals and hoodlums.
The Commissioner explained that his unit discovered an infiltration into the state through the sea, land, air, stressing that the force has commenced a major operation to prevent unauthorised people from entering the state.
He said persons coming into the state must have their data collected to ascertain their free crime status.
“If people come into the state, we will have their data captured, and they may not pose as a security risk to us”
“I want to state clearly that we are witnessing different levels of attacks nationwide on security, agencies/destruction of facilities, it is worrisome, barbaric and portends danger to all and sundry. It requires a collective response from critical stakeholders to curb this ugly trend in our society irrespective of tribe, religion and cultural differences.
“At this juncture, I call on traditional rulers, community youth’s leaders, religious leaders, etc not to see these daunting security challenges as a problem of the Police alone, but a general approach that needs a high level of commitment from citizens through information gathering and sharing to relevant authorities for proactive policing.
“We are all aware of what is happening within the South-South and South East region of the country and general insecurity in the country, Cross River State Command being a proactive command is not sitting back
“For the past one month, we tirelessly rid the state of all crimes and criminality and one of the things we have discovered is that drugs play an important role in the activity of the men of the underworld
“There are so many categories of substances these people take to boost their ego and make them high but for the past one month, the command has increased her patrol vehicles.
The Commissioner also paraded over 40 suspected criminals including cultists, armed robbers, and burglars, amongst others.
He commended Governor Ayade for the support the command received which, he said had emboldened it to do more, particularly in the area of crime control.
In a related development, a serving Superintendent of Customs, Mba Ukweni Edu, has been kidnapped near a river in Cross River State.
The incident, according to an eyewitness who pleaded anonymity occurred last Friday between 1 and 2pm at the riverbank in Etono Central in Biakpan.
The victim, it was learnt was posted to Ikom in Cross River State in preparation for his retirement, having worked outside Cross River State since the inception of his service.
“Though he has worked in Calabar briefly before he was posted to Ikom, he came in from the West, Lagos.

By: Friday Nwagbara, Calabar