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Wives Of Detained Policemen Petition IGP …Say Our Families Are Suffering

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11 years ago

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General Manager, Rivers State Newspaper Corporation, Mr Celestine Ogolo (left) exchanging pleasantries with the National deputy President of NUPPPPROW at the 3rd State Triennial Delegate Conference held yesterday. Photo: Ibioye Diama

General Manager, Rivers State Newspaper Corporation, Mr Celestine Ogolo (left) exchanging pleasantries with the National deputy President of NUPPPPROW at the 3rd State Triennial Delegate Conference held yesterday. Photo: Ibioye Diama

No fewer than 11 wives of
detained policemen in the past 12 months at the Cross River State Police headquarters have cried out to the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Solomon Arase, to help  release their husbands and save their families from pain and psychological trauma.
The women, led by Mrs. Janet Ewa, wife  of  ASP  Raphael Ewa told newsmen in Calabar, that their husbands have put in several years of meritorious services with  the police force and their fatherland, but are now being humiliated and disgraced after  they staked their lives in fighting crime in Calabar.
Narrating the circumstance leading to the prolonged detention of their husbands, Mrs. Ewa said on 17th of April, 2014, at about 2.30 am, the officer in charge of the Special Anti- Robbery Squad, ASP Horsfall Minafuro, received  a distress call that armed robbers were operating at Atimbo, in the eastern axis of Calabar, and the man along with 11 other operatives “went to the scene of the robbery and upon seeing a police van, the robbers opened fire, prompting the SARS squad to engage the robbers in a gun battle  and six of them were killed while others escaped into the bush.”
The lady said during the exchange of gunfire, the windscreen of the police patrol van was damaged while the police recovered various items at the scene, comprising of firearms, expended ammunition, and the vehicle used by the robbers, a KIA PICANTO saloon, which were taken to the police headquarters as exhibits.
“Many people in the city were glad when they heard the news of the killing of the robbers particularly their ringleader, PIKIN and even the then Cross River State Security Adviser, Mr. Rekpene Bassey, wrote a letter to the State Police Command commending the police for the success over the robbery gang.
“The host community, Akai Efa where those robbers were terrorizing also wrote a letter of commendation to the police,  but it became a matter of concern to us and the people of Calabar that one of the mother’s of the robbery suspects, fearing the stigma and infamy that might come upon the family, generated a case of kidnapping against one of the SARS operative which eventually metamorphosed to the incarceration of our husbands for the past 12 months”.
The women said the salaries of their husbands were stopped since September 2014, which has inflicted severe hardship on them, and some of their children and wards have dropped out of school.
“I wish you could imagine the psychological trauma that we have gone through for the past 12 months that our husbands have been in detention for doing their work to help keep society safe,” she lamented.
They appealed to the Inspector General of  Police,  to help facilitate the release of their husbands.
“We appeal that you kindly listen to the supplications of your daughters and sisters and release our husbands who have done the police and their fatherland proud.”

 

Friday Nwagbara, Calabar

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Niger Delta

850-bed UCTH overstretched, services 5m patients – CMD

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6 days ago

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May 18, 2026

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The Chief Medical Director (CMD) of the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital (UCTH), Prof. Ikpeme Ikpeme, has said the 850-bed hospital is overstretched, as it currently serves over five million patients.
He disclosed this on Friday during a media tour of the facility to showcase ongoing renovations and facelift in the hospital.
The CMD noted that, aside being the only tertiary healthcare facility servicing the state, UCTH also serviced neighbouring states of Akwa Ibom and Ebonyi.
He said the hospital also received referrals from neighbouring countries, including Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea and Central African Republic.
According to him, the 850-bed hospital faced persistent space constraints because of increasing patients inflow and expanding healthcare demands.
“This hospital currently operates 62 clinical and non-clinical departments as well as  between 30 and 38 wards covering medical, surgical, paediatric, orthopaedic and specialised services.
“Most wards have undergone facelift, remodelling, or complete renovation to improve patient care and working conditions for healthcare professionals”, he said.
He disclosed that the hospital was constructing a new 106-bed emergency medicine facility to address the rising demand for healthcare services.
According to him, the facility will include trauma bays, intensive care units, neonatal wards, and three fully equipped trauma theatres.
Speaking on the remodeled wards, Ikpeme explained that they followed modern nursing principles, allowing one nurse to attend to a maximum of 10 patients.
He said relatives would be restricted to designated waiting areas to reduce interference with medical procedures and improve emergency response efficiency.
The CMD noted that the hospital had strengthened specialist services in orthopaedics, neurosurgery, obstetrics, radiology, and minimally invasive surgery.
“UCTH now performs hip and knee replacements, arthroscopy, sports medicine, and complex brain tumour surgeries.
“Our surgeons also conduct keyhole procedures for appendectomy, hysterectomy and other conditions with faster patient recovery periods,” he said
In power, the CMD said the hospital relied on solar power from a seven-megawatt plant, constructed by the Federal Government at the University of Calabar, as well as public power supply, and generators to sustain its operations.
He appealed to governments, organisations, and philanthropists to support infrastructure expansion, equipment procurement, and specialised healthcare projects.
The CMD said the hospital required additional incubators, ward expansions, and a stand-alone amenity facility for private healthcare services.
He used the opportunity to dismiss allegations of ethnic discrimination, insisting that the hospital does not reject workers or patients based on tribe or origin.
According to him, the institution recently honoured an Igbo pioneer physician by naming a ward after him in recognition of decades of service.
The CMD said the hospital maintained strict disciplinary procedures to address negligence, poor attitude, and unethical conduct among staff.
The Tide’s source reports that some of the units visited include, intensive care unit, Department of Radiology, Urology Clinic, and Opthalmology Clinic.
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Police Burst Child Trafficking Syndicate In A’Ibom … Nab 3 Suspects

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6 days ago

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May 18, 2026

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The Police Command in Akwa Ibom State says it has busted a child trafficking syndicate and arrested three suspects for conspiracy and unlawful sale of a newborn baby in the State.
The State’s Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), DSP Timfom John, who disclosed this in a statement in Uyo on Friday, said the three female suspects were arrested on Wednesday at about 1900hrs.
She said a complainant reported that his wife gave birth to a baby boy on May 7 and shockingly, shortly after delivery sold the newborn child to one of the suspects for N145, 000.
“Upon receipt of the report, operatives immediately swung into action, leading to the arrest of the suspects and the successful recovery of the baby boy.
“The suspects reportedly confessed to the crime during interrogation, while investigation has been expanded to identify and apprehend all individuals connected to the trafficking syndicate”, John said.
She said the State’s Commissioner of Police, Baba Azare, reiterated the Command’s commitment to sustaining aggressive intelligence-led policing in the state.
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A’Ibom Launches Operation Crack Down Scrap Dealers 

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6 days ago

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May 18, 2026

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The Akwa-Ibom State Government has launched a statewide crackdown on unregistered scrap dealers and scavengers, shutting down illegal operations and arresting operators accused of violating environmental and public safety regulations.
The enforcement operation, led by the Akwa Ibom State Environmental Protection and Waste Management Agency (AKSEPWMA), followed the implementation of the state’s Waste Metal Scrap Law 2026, officials said.
AKSEPWMA Chairman, Obong Prince Ikim, said the exercise was aimed at regulating the scrap sector, protect the environment, and prevent criminal groups from operating under the guise of waste collection and metal trading.
“If you want to do scrap business, you must register,” Mr. Ikim said during the operation in Uyo, the state capital.
“Many people now hide under scrap trading to perpetrate nefarious activities”, he said.
According to him, dump site operators and scrap dealers who failed to register with the government risked closure and prosecution.
Authorities accused some operators of involvement in vandalism of public infrastructure and indiscriminate waste disposal, adding that investigations had uncovered criminal activities linked to several dump sites across the state.
“Some people vandalise government facilities in the name of scrap business and encourage indiscriminate dumping of refuse,” Mr. Ikim said.
He added that the state government and security agencies would continue efforts to enforce compliance and maintain public order.
“The Commissioner of Police has zero tolerance for criminality, and the Governor wants Akwa Ibom people to sleep with their eyes closed. We will fish out every defaulter”, he said.
Police officials involved in the operation said investigations showed that some criminal suspects used scrap yards and refuse dump sites as cover for illegal activities.
CSP Okwuzulike Vincent of the Itam Police Station said some suspects pretended to be mentally unstable while hiding ammunition and other suspicious items in makeshift shelters around dump locations.
The police officer praised the environmental agency for what he described as proactive efforts to sanitise the sector and pledged continued cooperation between law enforcement and the agency.
Officials said some first-time offenders arrested during the operation were released after profiling and signing undertakings, while repeat offenders would face prosecution.
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