By ANIETIE AKPAN

Two Cameroonians have been arrested for allegedly dealing in illegal arms in Calabar, Cross River State.

Thirty-eight others were paraded for alleged crimes within the state. Briefing newsmen yesterday at the state police headquarters, Calabar, while parading the suspects, the state Commissioner of Police, Sikiru Akande, persons involved in arms peddling to stop or face the law.

Akande warned that the police would deal with criminals ruthlessly in the state.

“I want to thank the good people for their support thus far because we have enjoyed cooperation from the people of Cross Rivers, especially the governor, who responded when a natural disaster destroyed some parts of our buildings in the command.

“The support has emboldened us further to dig deep and do more in our duty of ensuring that Cross River remains peaceful and crime-free.

“We are all aware of the security challenges in the South-East and South-South, as well as the country in general. We are proactive in our approach as we will not sit down and fold our arms and allow them to eat us up. We are working assiduously to make sure crime is nipped in the bud before it is committed.

“Hard drugs play major role in aiding men of the underworld, they use many substances to boost their ego to commit dastardly acts but we have heightened our patrols as we have also keyed into the Inspector General of Police agenda of reducing crime and criminality to its barest minimum.

“Today, we have paraded 40 persons suspected to be involved in various crimes within the past two weeks and we will continue to do more to make sure that Cross River and Calabar in particular remains the most peaceful state and city in Nigeria.”

Two of the suspects, Ojong Valentine, 28 and Ayuk Serge Enow, 35, said they came to Calabar to buy arms from one Ogbuagu Emmanuel to return back to Cameroon before they were arrested by police operatives.

Some of the items recovered included locally made pistols, 99 packs of cocaine, and 100 wraps of cannabis, among others. (The Guardian)

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