The Cross River State Police Command has confirmed the arrest of two serving police officers who were intercepted with firearms and ammunition amid the ongoing communal crisis between Ugep and Idomi communities.

The clarification followed a viral video circulating on social media alleging that the officers were arrested in connection with the conflict.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, the Police Public Relations Officer of the Cross River State Command, Eitokpah Akata, said the suspects were intercepted during a joint stop-and-search operation involving police officers and personnel of the Nigerian Army in Biase Local Government Area.

“The Command wishes to clarify that the incident occurred on 5th May 2026, when two suspects riding on a motorcycle were intercepted during a routine stop-and-search operation conducted jointly by men of the Nigeria Police Force and personnel of the Nigerian Army in Biase Local Government Area of Cross River State,” the statement read.

According to the police, preliminary findings showed that the suspects are serving members of the police force attached to the Akwa Ibom State Police Command.

“Preliminary findings indicate that the two suspects seen in the viral video are serving members of the Nigeria Police Force attached to the Akwa Ibom State Police Command and were found in possession of firearms and live ammunition at the time of their interception,” the statement added.

The command disclosed that the officers were immediately taken into custody and 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,” Akata stated.

The Commissioner of Police in Cross River State, Rashid Afegbua, has reportedly ordered a comprehensive investigation into the matter.

“The Commissioner of Police, Cross River State Command, CP Rashid B. Afegbua, has ordered a comprehensive investigation to determine the motive, intent, and full circumstances surrounding the suspects’ actions,” the statement said.

The command also assured residents that any individual found culpable would face the law regardless of status or affiliation.

“The Command assures members of the public that no individual found wanting, regardless of status or affiliation, will be shielded from the full weight of the law,” the police added.

The Ondo State Police Command has arrested a suspected kidnapper, Adegbenro Adeola, after a dramatic chase that led to the rescue of an abducted victim in Akure, the Ondo State capital.

The command’s spokesperson, DSP Abayomi Jimoh, disclosed this in a statement on Wednesday, noting that the suspect is part of a gang that had been terrorising parts of the city.

According to the statement, the incident occurred on Tuesday, May 5, 2026, when operatives on routine patrol along the Oba-Ile axis acted on intelligence about a distress situation involving a man inside a moving vehicle.

The officers reportedly spotted a red Toyota Camry in which a victim was heard shouting for help.

“Upon receipt of the report, the operatives swiftly mobilised and pursued the suspected vehicle,” the statement said.

During the chase, the suspects reportedly forced the victim, later identified as Kayode Alaba, out of the moving vehicle in an attempt to escape arrest.

The police team, however, continued the pursuit and succeeded in arresting Adeola, while other members of the gang fled the scene.

The vehicle used in the operation was also recovered.

Preliminary investigations revealed that the victim had earlier been abducted from his residence along Irese Road, Akure, before the police intervention.

Jimoh said the victim has since been rescued and is receiving medical attention, while the arrested suspect has provided useful information to assist ongoing investigations.

The case has been transferred to the Violent Crime Response Unit in Akure for further investigation and efforts to apprehend fleeing accomplices.

The police urged residents to remain vigilant and continue providing credible information to support security operations in the state.