The Cross River State Police Command has arrested 60 suspects in connection with the alleged assault of a police officer around the Watt Market axis of Calabar, following a viral social media video that generated controversy over the circumstances surrounding the incident.
The Command, in a statement signed by its Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Eitokpah Sunday Akata, said the narrative accompanying the viral video was misleading and did not accurately reflect what led to the confrontation involving the officer and traders in the area.
According to the police, the incident occurred on September 15, 2026, at about 3:30 p.m., around Goldie by Etim Edem Lane, Calabar.
The Command said a concerned member of the public who witnessed the situation alerted the police after noticing that a police officer was allegedly being attacked.
Following the alert, the patrol team at Atakpa Police Division was immediately mobilised to the area, where the officer was rescued and taken to the police station.
The officer, according to the Command, later explained that he was proceeding from his office through Goldie by Bedwell Junction to join members of his team when he attempted to impound a motorcycle.
The police said the motorcycle was allegedly connected to an earlier incident on September 11, when the rider was said to have accidentally stepped on the officer's leg while he was on duty before allegedly escaping from the scene.
The officer reportedly said that when he later attempted to apprehend the rider, some roadside traders confronted him and allegedly assisted the rider.
The Command further quoted the officer as alleging that his riot gun was tampered with during the confrontation, while his police uniform and shoes were torn.
He also alleged that his Samsung X10 mobile phone was taken and that pepper and egg were poured on his face and body.
According to the police statement, the officer further alleged that the motorcycle was forcibly taken from him, allowing the rider to escape.
The officer reportedly told investigators that he could identify some of the people involved in the incident.
Following the report, the Commissioner of Police in Cross River State, CP Ajo Geoffrey Ordue, directed the Command to gather intelligence, identify those involved and arrest anyone found culpable for prosecution in accordance with the law.
The police said the directive led to a coordinated operation on September 16 at about 10:45 a.m., when patrol and surveillance teams from Atakpa Police Division were reinforced by operatives of the Violence Crime Response Unit, VCRU.
The operation resulted in the arrest of 60 suspects in the area.
The Command said the suspects are currently undergoing screening and interrogation to establish their individual roles, if any, in the incident.
It added that efforts are continuing to identify and apprehend other persons who may have participated in the alleged assault.
The police also acknowledged the intervention of the member of the public who alerted officers when the confrontation was taking place, saying the timely information enabled the police to respond and rescue the officer.
The Command urged members of the public to rely on verified information rather than draw conclusions from what it described as incomplete or misleading narratives circulating on social media.
Meanwhile, the police said normalcy has been restored at Watt Market, with security monitoring continuing in the area.
The Command reiterated that it would continue to protect lives and property, while warning that attacks on police officers or other members of the public would not be tolerated.
The latest development places the focus on the ongoing police investigation, particularly the circumstances that led to the confrontation, the identities and roles of those arrested, and the eventual outcome of the screening and interrogation process.
The police said further developments would be communicated to the public as appropriate.
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