The Cross River State Police Command has arrested six suspects over alleged robbery, burglary and stealing in Calabar, as the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has reiterated the need for strict adherence to lawful arrest and investigative procedures.
 
In Cross River, operatives of the Violence Crime Response Unit (VCRU) arrested four suspects in connection with the alleged burglary of Royaline Technologies, 49 Ettagbor Road, Calabar, on June 3, 2026, during which property valued at about N49.15 million was reportedly stolen.

The suspects were identified as Hassan Ahmad, 38; Jabiru Ibrahim, 35; Usman Isa Garuba, 22; and Abdullalim Hassan, 23.

The spokesperson for the command, ASP Sunday Eitokpah, said preliminary investigations indicated that the suspects allegedly operated as part of a six-man gang that broke into the premises and stole 62 mobile phones of various models, accessories, speakers, earphones and N529,000 in cash.
 
According to him, one of the suspects, Ibrahim, was traced to Kano State, where he was arrested on September 2 and subsequently brought to Calabar on September 3.
 
Eitokpah said the total value of the stolen property was estimated at N49,150,715, adding that efforts were ongoing to arrest the remaining members of the alleged gang and recover the stolen items.
 
In a separate operation, VCRU operatives arrested two other suspects, Samuel Udo Udo, 29, and Ezekiel Dominic, 22, over alleged robbery incidents at filling stations in Calabar.
 
The suspects were arrested on September 9 after a mob reportedly apprehended them following a distress call from a filling station around the University of Calabar area.
 
Eitokpah said the police intervened and rescued the suspects from being lynched before taking them into custody for investigation.
 
He said preliminary investigation indicated that the suspects allegedly posed as customers seeking to buy fuel before threatening attendants and fleeing with the product.
 
Police recovered 20 litres of petrol and a blue tricycle from the suspects, while efforts were ongoing to identify and arrest others allegedly connected to the incidents.
 
The Commissioner of Police, Ajo Geoffrey Ordue, commended the VCRU operatives for their intelligence gathering, investigation and interstate coordination, which led to the arrest of one of the suspects in Kano.
 
Ordue directed that both cases be thoroughly investigated and that anyone found culpable should be prosecuted in accordance with the law.
 
The command also warned residents against jungle justice, urging them to hand over suspected offenders to the police or other lawful authorities.
 
It stressed that the suspects remained innocent until proven guilty by a court, adding that intelligence-led operations against robbery, burglary and other crimes would be sustained across the state.
 
The emphasis on lawful handling of suspects was echoed in Lagos, where the NSCDC Director of Legal Services, Aminu Kayode Alilu, urged personnel to strictly comply with the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) and established procedures in the course of their duties.
 
Alilu gave the charge on Wednesday, during a lecture at the Lagos State Command headquarters in Alausa, Ikeja.
 
The lecture, attended by management staff, area commanders, divisional officers and tactical commanders, was organised to reinforce the Commandant General’s directive on standardising operational procedures in line with national criminal justice reforms.
 
Alilu said the directives placed emphasis on respect for human rights, inter-agency cooperation and transparent legal procedures in the arrest and handling of suspects.
 
He particularly addressed the legal thresholds for warrantless arrests under the ACJA, urging officers to understand the circumstances under which such arrests are legally permissible.
 
He also stressed the importance of mandatory documentation, saying officers must properly record the circumstances of every arrest, including the reasons for the arrest, the physical environment and the immediate steps taken after a suspect is taken into custody.
 
The Lagos State Commandant of NSCDC, Adedotun Keshinro, said the command remained committed to complying with prosecutorial procedures, which he said had contributed to its success in securing multiple cases in court.
 
Keshinro also reaffirmed the command’s commitment to protecting civil liberties, ensuring prompt arraignment of suspects and maintaining standardised investigative procedures to secure credible outcomes in court.
 
Also present at the lecture was Mrs Auwal Gambari of the Legal Unit of the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation, alongside senior NSCDC officers.
 
The developments in Cross River and Lagos underscore the importance of ensuring that crime suspects are subjected to proper investigation and prosecution rather than extrajudicial punishment, with security agencies stressing that effective law enforcement must go hand in hand with respect for due process.