RismadarVoice Reporters
September 16, 2026
The Cross River State Police Command has arrested 60 people following an alleged assault on a police officer around Watt Market in Calabar, the state capital.
The arrests followed the circulation of a video on social media showing an encounter involving the officer and traders in the area.
Police authorities, however, disputed some of the accounts circulating alongside the footage, describing them as incomplete and misleading.
Cross River State Police Public Relations Officer, Eitokpah Sunday Akata, said in a statement on Wednesday that the incident occurred on Tuesday, September 15, at about 3:30pm around Goldie by Etim Edem Lane.
According to the command, a member of the public alerted police that an officer was being attacked, prompting personnel from Atakpa Police Division to respond.
The officer was subsequently rescued and taken to the police station.
POLICE GIVE ACCOUNT OF INCIDENT
According to the police account, the officer told investigators that he had been travelling through the Goldie-Bedwell Junction area to meet other members of his team when he encountered a motorcyclist.
Police said the officer attempted to impound the motorcycle over an earlier incident in which the rider had allegedly stepped on his leg while he was on duty on September 11.
The command alleged that roadside traders subsequently confronted the officer and assisted the motorcyclist.
The officer further alleged that his uniform and shoes were damaged during the confrontation and that his riot gun was tampered with.
He also reported that his Samsung mobile phone was taken and that pepper and egg were poured on him.
According to the police, the motorcycle was eventually taken away, and the rider escaped.
These allegations represent the police officer’s account of the incident and had not been independently established by a court as of Wednesday.
60 ARRESTED IN FOLLOW-UP OPERATION
Following the incident, Cross River State Commissioner of Police, Ajo Geoffrey Ordue, directed officers to identify those suspected of participating in the confrontation and investigate the circumstances surrounding it.
Police said personnel from Atakpa Police Division were subsequently reinforced by operatives of the Violence Crime Response Unit.
The operation began at about 10:45am on Wednesday and resulted in the arrest of 60 people in the area.
The command said those arrested were undergoing screening and interrogation to determine their individual involvement, if any, in the incident.
Police added that efforts were continuing to identify other people suspected of participating in the confrontation.
POLICE CAUTION AGAINST UNVERIFIED CLAIMS
The command urged members of the public to avoid reaching conclusions based solely on videos or accounts circulating on social media.
It maintained that some descriptions accompanying the viral footage did not accurately represent what happened and advised the public to rely on verified information as investigations continue.
Police said normal activities had returned to Watt Market, although security personnel continued monitoring the area.
The command reiterated its responsibility to protect members of the public as well as law-enforcement personnel and said attacks against any individual would be investigated.
Authorities also thanked the person who alerted officers during Tuesday’s incident, saying the information enabled personnel to respond.
Police said additional information would be released as the investigation progresses.
