C’River police arrest 164, decry prison congestion

THE Cross River State Police Command has arrested 164 suspects and culprits as part of ongoing efforts to rid the state of criminality.

The Commissioner of Police, Henry Fadairo while briefing newsmen in Calabar Monday, said “150 suspects have been arrested, including 14 hardened criminals involved in various criminal activities since the commencement of intensive clampdown on criminals in the state between December 2014 and August this year.”

However due to the long strike action embarked on by the state judiciary workers, the suspects and other criminals could not be arraigned in court, a situation the police chief said, had resulted in the overcrowding of the cells.

“Under normal circumstances, suspects are not expected to stay in police cell beyond 24 hours before being taken to court. But the situation at the state police headquarters was appalling as suspects scramble with one another for space.”

To this end, Fadairo appealed to the state government to resolve the judicial impasse so the courts could resume work, as according to him, it was becoming pretty difficult and risky for the police to keep such a large number of suspects in one place in terms of feeding and security.

Some of the intimates, who bared their minds to the media, stressed the urgency of their appearance in court.

A 30-year-old man, Richard Efiok of Ikot Ewa in Akpabuyo Local Council of the state, who allegedly stabbed his girlfriend to death, said he murdered her during an argument over financial matters.