Reported by: Oahimire Omone Precious | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
Two serving police officers were intercepted with firearms and live ammunition in Biase Local Government Area of Cross River State on May 5, 2026, at a time when the Ugep and Idomi communities remain locked in a deadly communal crisis that has already claimed lives and displaced hundreds. The officers, attached to the Akwa Ibom State Command, were stopped during a joint stop‑and‑search operation conducted by the Nigeria Police Force and the Nigerian Army. The discovery has raised urgent questions about the role of security personnel in the escalation of communal violence, with the Cross River State Commissioner of Police ordering a full‑scale investigation into the motive and circumstances surrounding the officers’ conduct.
The arrest took place amid heightened tensions between the neighbouring communities of Ugep (headquarters of Yakurr Local Government Area) and Idomi in Biase LGA. The two groups have a long history of intermittent clashes over land boundaries and fishing rights, but the violence has intensified in recent months, leading to several deaths and the destruction of property. It was against this volatile backdrop that the joint security team mounted a stop‑and‑search operation along a key road linking the affected areas. When the officers were flagged down, a search of their vehicle allegedly uncovered firearms and live ammunition that they could not lawfully explain possessing, given the delicate security situation in the region.
According to police sources, the two officers were immediately arrested and transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) in Calabar for a comprehensive interrogation. Their identities have not been released, but a police statement confirmed that they are serving personnel of the Akwa Ibom State Command, a detail that adds a cross‑border dimension to the case. It remains unclear whether the officers were on official duty, on leave, or acting outside their jurisdiction. The joint operation was part of a broader effort by security agencies to prevent the smuggling of weapons into the conflict zone, a practice that has repeatedly inflamed communal clashes across the state.
Cross River State Commissioner of Police, CP Rashid B. Afegbua, issued a stern warning following the arrests. “No individual found wanting, regardless of status or affiliation, will be shielded from the full weight of the law,” the police statement read. Afegbua ordered investigators to determine whether the officers acted alone or were part of a larger network supplying arms to warring factions. The statement also called for calm and assured the public that the investigation would be thorough and transparent.
The Ugep‑Idomi crisis has defied several peace initiatives. In recent weeks, the Cross River State Government convened a peace meeting involving traditional rulers, youth leaders, and security chiefs, but sporadic attacks have continued. The discovery of serving police officers in possession of weapons inside the conflict zone is deeply troubling. It risks undermining public trust in the security establishment at a time when community members already accuse the police of bias. Some residents have privately expressed fear that the officers may have been hired by one of the warring sides, a scenario that would represent a dangerous breach of professional ethics.
The Nigeria Police Force has not yet released an official statement beyond the CP’s comments. However, the Force Public Relations Officer in Abuja confirmed that the Inspector‑General of Police has been briefed and is monitoring the investigation. The officers face possible charges ranging from illegal possession of firearms to conspiracy to commit acts of violence, depending on the outcome of the SCID probe. If found guilty, they could be dismissed from the force and prosecuted criminally.
For the people of Ugep and Idomi, the arrests are a grim reminder that the line between peacekeeper and combatant has become dangerously blurred. Many hope that the investigation will lead to more than just the dismissal of two officers. They want answers: How did the weapons get into their hands? Who sent them? And what will be done to prevent other security personnel from being drawn into the conflict? As the SCID continues its work, the two officers remain in custody, and the guns they carried have been taken for forensic analysis. The only certainty is that in the hills of Biase, trust is the scarcest commodity of all.
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