Cross River: Police arrest three more suspects over electricity materials theft

The Cross River State Police Command has arrested three additional suspects in connection with the alleged theft and vandalism of electricity infrastructure in Calabar.

The development follows the earlier arrest of the prime suspect, Peter Adie, 36, over the alleged vandalism of electricity infrastructure at Agbo Ntoe Layout, Boulevard Road 2, off Parliamentary Extension, Calabar.

The police said operatives, acting on information obtained during Adie’s interrogation, extended their operations to Murtala Mohammed Highway, around Pepsi, and a dumpsite in the Harbour area of Calabar.

Five persons were initially arrested for questioning over their suspected links to the alleged theft and receipt of electricity materials.

However, two of them, Yakubu Musa and Emmanuel Hope, were released after preliminary investigations found them not culpable.

The police identified the three additional suspects still in custody as Tochukwu Nwogwu, Boniface Egede and Mustapha Isa Aliyu. Adie and the three suspects remain in police custody as investigations continue.

In a statement on Friday, the Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Eitokpah Sunday Akata, said the command was pursuing relevant leads to establish the circumstances surrounding the alleged offence and determine the individual roles of the suspects.

The Commissioner of Police, Ajo Geoffrey Ordue, reiterated the command’s commitment to protecting public infrastructure and warned against vandalism and the unlawful possession or receipt of stolen electricity materials.

The command urged residents to provide credible information to aid the investigation and report suspicious activities to the nearest police station.