The Lumine News

Tag: #NPF

  • Cross River Police Command Celebrates AIG Rashid Bello Afegbua Decoration Following His Promotion 

    Cross River Police Command Celebrates AIG Rashid Bello Afegbua Decoration Following His Promotion 

    By Admin

    The Cross River State Police Command has congratulated its 48th Commissioner of Police, Rashid Bello Afegbua, on his promotion and decoration as an Assistant Inspector-General of Police (AIG).

    The decoration ceremony took place on Tuesday at the Inspector-General of Police Conference Hall, Louis Edet House, Force Headquarters, Abuja. The Inspector-General of Police, IGP Olatunji Rilwan Disu, performed the decoration of the newly promoted senior officers.

    Cross River State Governor, Senator Bassey Edet Otu, was represented at the event by the Deputy Governor, Rt. Hon. Peter Odey, who joined the Inspector-General of Police in decorating AIG Afegbua. The ceremony was attended by family members, senior police officers, and other distinguished guests.

    In a statement issued by the Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Eitokpah Sunday Akata, the Command described the promotion as well deserved, highlighting AIG Afegbua’s leadership since assuming office as the 48th Commissioner of Police for Cross River State on July 7, 2025.

    According to the statement, Afegbua has strengthened the state’s security architecture through intelligence-led policing, enhanced collaboration with other security agencies, improved community engagement, and sustained strategic crime-fighting initiatives. The Command said these efforts have contributed significantly to the prevailing peace, public safety, and security across Cross River State.

    The officers and men of the Cross River State Police Command congratulated the newly decorated Assistant Inspector-General of Police on his elevation, describing him as a professional officer committed to the ideals of the Nigeria Police Force.

    The Command also wished AIG Afegbua continued success as he takes on higher responsibilities in the service.

  • C’River Police Command Arrest Alleged Fake Doctor Over Illegal Mobile Clinic, ₦500,000 Employment Scam in Cross River

    C’River Police Command Arrest Alleged Fake Doctor Over Illegal Mobile Clinic, ₦500,000 Employment Scam in Cross River

    The Cross River State Police Command has arrested a 39-year-old man, Udeme Emmanuel Ekpeme, for allegedly impersonating a medical doctor, operating an illegal mobile clinic, and defrauding a resident of ₦500,000 under the guise of securing employment at the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital (UCTH).

    The suspect was arrested by officers attached to the Uwanse Police Division in Calabar South following a complaint filed by Mrs. Edemawan Samuel, 45. She alleged that Ekpeme falsely presented himself as a qualified medical doctor and collected ₦500,000 from her with the promise of securing employment for her children at UCTH.

    According to the police, preliminary investigations revealed that the suspect allegedly used the false representation to deceive the complainant into parting with the money. Investigators also recovered exhibits believed to be connected to the alleged offences during the operation.

    The suspect is currently in police custody while investigations continue.

    Commissioner of Police, Cross River State Command, has directed a comprehensive investigation to establish the full circumstances surrounding the case and determine whether other persons may have fallen victim to the suspect’s alleged activities.

    The police said the command is also conducting a discreet investigation to uncover the full extent of the suspect’s operations, including the possibility of additional victims or accomplices.

    The Command assured members of the public that the suspect would be charged to court upon the conclusion of investigations if sufficient evidence is established and pledged to provide further updates as the case progresses.

  • Cross River Police Deny Assault Claims, Detain Officers Over Bus Driver Incident

    Cross River Police Deny Assault Claims, Detain Officers Over Bus Driver Incident

    By Elijah Ugani 

    The Cross River State Police Command has denied allegations that its officers assaulted a mini bus driver, Mr. Imor Sam, with a rifle butt during an encounter at a stop-and-search point, stating that preliminary investigations do not support the claims circulating on social media.

    In a statement issued on Saturday by the Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Eitokpah Sunday Akata, the Command said the incident occurred on July 18, 2026, after the driver allegedly failed to stop when signaled by officers conducting a stop-and-search operation.

    According to the police, the driver drove off while a Police Special Constabulary (PSC) officer was attempting to stop and search the vehicle. The Command alleged that the officer was dragged for some distance before falling into a gutter, where he sustained injuries to his mouth, including the loss of a tooth, after he was allegedly punched by the driver.

    The Command also refuted claims that the driver sustained his injuries after being struck with a rifle butt by police officers.

    “The driver himself, in a recorded video statement attached to this release, confirmed that he was not struck with a rifle butt,” the statement said.

    Police said preliminary findings indicate that the injury to the driver’s forehead occurred when he fell and hit the concrete edge surrounding a signpost during a struggle near Atakpa Police Station.

    Despite its initial findings, the Cross River State Commissioner of Police has ordered the immediate detention of the officers involved pending the conclusion of a full investigation into the incident.

    The Command emphasized that it does not condone unprofessional conduct or the misuse of force by its personnel, adding that any officer found culpable would face disciplinary action in accordance with the law.

    It also appealed to members of the public to avoid spreading unverified information and to allow the investigation to run its course.

    “The Cross River State Police Command remains committed to professionalism, accountability, and the protection of the rights and dignity of all persons,” the statement added.
    The investigation into the incident is ongoing.

  • Just In: C’River Police Command Confirms Arrest Of Nurse And Accomplice Involved In Child Trafficking In Ogoja

    CROSS RIVER STATE POLICE COMMAND
    PRESS RELEASE:
    17TH JULY, 202

    ARREST OF NURSE AND ACCOMPLICE INVOLVED IN CHILD TRAFFICKING – BABY RESCUED UNHARMED AT OGOJA LGA

    The Cross River State Police Command, under the leadership of Commissioner of Police, CP Rashid B. Afegbua, PSC, mnips, wishes to clarify the facts surrounding the recent incident involving a nurse arrested in connection with child trafficking.

    On the 15th of July 2025, at approximately 2:00 PM, operatives of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), in collaboration with an international NGO—Caritas International—and with the support of the Ogoja Divisional Police Headquarters, successfully apprehended two female suspects linked to a case of child trafficking reported on July 5th, 2025, at Okuku Market in Yala LGA.

    The suspects are:

    Paulina Banku Otu (female) – a nurse employed at Ogoja General Hospital the prime suspect, and

    Regina Abuashia (female) – a staff of Ogoja Local Government Council, identified as the buyer of the child.

    Following detailed investigation and intelligence gathering, the joint team, alongside the child’s biological mother, Mrs. Maria Ogar, located and arrested both suspects. The stolen child, Purity Lehi Sunday (female, age 2), was found unharmed and was reunited with her mother at the Ogoja Police Station.

    Both suspects confessed to the crime during interrogation and have since been transferred to the State NAPTIP Office in Calabar for further investigation and prosecution under relevant laws.

    The Command is aware of a misleading video circulating on social media platforms regarding this incident. We wish to categorically state that the video misrepresents the facts and appears to be a deliberate attempt to discredit the Police and incite public unrest.

    The Cross River State Police Command urges social media influencers, bloggers, and content creators to adhere to responsible journalism ethics and verify facts before publication. The spreading of false or sensational narratives carries serious legal consequences and can hinder the course of justice.

    The Command remains unwavering in its commitment to protect lives, uphold the law, and combat crimes such as child trafficking across the State.

    SP Ugbo Irene, ANIPR
    Police Public Relations Officer
    For: Commissioner of Police
    Cross River State Command

  • Missing Child Found Around Stadium, Currently With The Akim Police Divisional Headquarters Calabar

    A good Samaritan simply identified as Richie announced in a WhatsApp group that he found a missing vhild who identified himself as Samuel from Etung Local Government Area, and he he took him to Akim Police Divisional Headquarters, Calabar.

    Richie wrote, “Missing Child his Name is Samuel from Etung local govt area, I found him at stadium after a mini bus driver dropped him and zoomed off, I gradually leaned somewhere to carefully observe the child, then I decided to walk towards him and interrogate after interrogating him then i realize he is a missing child,got him he only knew where he come from and his Name,got him something to eat and then I’ve taken him to police head quarter at Akim for proper identification and documentary, please help share the pictures until it got to the parent, God bless us all”

  • C’River Ministry Of Humanitarian Affairs Seeks Partnership With Nigerian Police Force

     

    The Honorable Commissioner For Humanitarian Affairs, CRS Dr. Helen Isamoh- Egodo in the company of her team, paid a familiarization visit to the Commissioner of Police, CRS, Sir G. A. Grimah and his Assistant, Sir Kabiru Ibrahim at the Nigerian Police Force, CRS Headquarters today.

    The engagement was a significant step towards strengthening collaboration and synergy between the ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and the Nigerian police force, CRS Command.

    Dr. Egodo seized the opportunity to discuss ways in which they can collaborate to ensure emergency preparedness in CRS, they also exchanged ideas and explored innovative solutions to address the security challenges faced by refugees, IDPs, women, people living with disabilities and other vulnerable populations in CRS.

    She engaged them on other critical issues most especially on; How the police can effectively and efficiently reduce gender-based violence on refugees and the vulnerable ones by implementing targeted awareness campaigns and establishing safe reporting mechanisms. She made it known that her ministry will be providing specialized training to officers on gender based violence and gender mainstreaming.

    Dr Egodo also intimated the Police on how they can tackle illegal migration by strengthening border control measures, such as increasing patrols and utilizing advanced technology for surveillance. She further posited that the establishment of specialized units or task forces dedicated to addressing crimes against vulnerable populations, such as human trafficking or exploitation by the police will ensure security and safety for the refugees and vulnerable ones amongst us.

    Furthermore, Dr Egodo stressed on the urgent need for the enhancement of emergency preparedness by conducting regular drills and training exercises for police officers to effectively respond to various emergency situations, including natural disasters, Wars, or terrorist attacks.

    The Commissioner of Police Cross River State, Sir. G. A. Grimah applauded Dr. Egodo and her team for their proactive approach in seeking collaboration as it reaffirms their dedication to creating a safer and more inclusive CRS.

    He maintained that it is essential for the Commissioner for Humanitarian Affairs to engage in various activities such as Field visits and such engagements often involve interacting with diverse groups of people, he will ensure that appropriate security measures are put in place to prevent potential wrongdoers who may attempt to disrupt or cause harm.

    Mr Grimah went Further to assert that he will engage relevant bodies and agencies to tackle illegal migration, enhance emergency preparedness and ensure security/safety for refugees, women, PWD, IDPs, etc.

    The Assistant Comissioner of Police, Sir Kabiru Ibrahim assured Dr. Egodo that he will reach out to DPOs and other actors to make available personnels, focal persons, desk officers, etc from the NPF for the trainings and engagements on gender based violence and gender mainstreaming whenever the ministry will request for them.

    Dr. Egodo expressed profound gratitude to the Commissioner for Police and his able Assistant for their time and commitments thus far, emphasizing that she will continue to engage and interact with the NPF to foster peace and development in CRS.

    Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, CRS.

  • C’River Guber Polls: PDP Raises Alarm On Plans By Police To Compromise Elections

    By Admin

    The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Cross River has raised alarm on plans by the Police Command to compromise the Governorship election in the state on Saturday.

    This is contained in a statement by the Publicity Secretary of the Party in Cross River, Mr Mike Ojisi.

    He said that the plans were perfected on Wednesday evening when the Commissioner in charge of elections in the state, Garba Aliyu in company of other officers met with Gov. Ben Ayade.

    Ojisi said that information available to the party leadership said Ayade had offered the Commissioner a mount watering amount to execute the plans.

    He disclosed that part of the plan is to create crisis in their strong holds and also used the boys that the All Progressives Congress (APC) has assembled to disenfranchised the people in selected parts of the state.

    He further stated that a number of chieftains of the party have been penciled down for arrest between Thursday and Friday as part of plan to keep them out of circulation until after the elections.

    According to him, “We have it on good authority that arrangement have been concluded to use the Police to compromise the governorship election in the state.

    “The plans to disenfranchise many Cross Riverians, cause chaos in our strong hold, put some of our leaders out of circulation with Police playing a critical role of providing cover for all these unwholesome activities were perfected this evening in a meeting with the governor.

    “Aside the Commissioner, others in the meeting were Garba Aliyu, CP Umar Madaki, in charge of Central, and CP Stanley Ude, in charge of Southern Cross River.

    “Others are: DCP Hayatu Shaff, DCP Aboki Danjuma, DCP Uche Adaku, and ACP Yusuf Doki.

    “They arrived Calabar today and were picked up at the Airport by Asuquo Ekpenyong Jr, Senator-Elect, and drove them straigth to Government House where they met with Ayade.”

    Meanwhile, the spokesperson of the Command, SP Irene Ugbo has debunked such plans, but however confirmed the CP meeting.

    She noted that the meeting was not exclusively for the Police but with other security agencies for the election.

    “The meeting is basically to strategize on the election in the area of security”

  • Jarigbe Agom Accuses Police, APC In Cross River Of Blackmail, Calls On IG TO Prosecute Alphonsus Eba

    Culled From Punch 

    Senator Jarigbe Agom Jarigbe of the Peoples Democratic Party has challenged the Police in Cross River State to be professional in their conduct by not colluding in anyway with members of the All Progressives Congress in their cheap blackmail against him .

    Jarigbe, who defeated governor Ben Ayade of the APC to win the Cross River North senatorial seat, said despite the crushing defeat suffered by APC in Cross River North , members of the party were still all out to tarnish his image and reputation .

    Addressing the press in his office on Monday , the senator asked the Inspector General of Police , Usman Baba Alkali to put a stop to the show of shame going on in Cross River state where losers of election are hell bent on disparaging the winner .

    He specifically called for the arrest of the chairman of APC in the state , Alphonsus Eba. He further demanded a thorough investigation of alleged nefarious activities by DCP Francis Idu and the state’s Police Public Relations Officer , CSP Irene Ugbo .

    He said, “The Independent National Electoral Commission declared my party, the Peoples Democratic Party, and my humble self, winner of the Cross River North Senatorial District Elections held on the 25th of February, 2023.

    “We emerged victorious in that election with 76, 145 votes; while the candidate of the All Progressive Congress, APC, the sitting governor of Cross River state, H. E. Benedict Ayade, came second with 56, 595 votes. A clear difference of 19,550 votes. Our people made it abundantly clear that I was their choice.

    “But surprisingly , one DCP Francis Idu, in the Cross River State Police Headquarters, who is under the patronage of the state government and their lackeys is abusing his office by indulging Alphonsus Eba in his psychotic odyssey of writing frivolous petitions against me and other respected indigenes of Cross river North.”

    The lawmaker declared that it is a wonder of the criminal world for a man who was caught on camera disrupting collation of results at an Independent National Electoral Commission collation centre to turn around and start writing frivolous petitions against us, when he should be facing charges for electoral offences.

    According to him, “The height of this shameless alliance with Alphonsus Eba and these shameless elements in the Police, is a video my attention was drawn to, where some persons were paraded by the police in Cross River state for allegedly perpetrating electoral violence in the just concluded presidential and National Assembly elections held on the 25th of February, 2023.”

  • Court Awards N7.5m Against The Police, Joseph Agaji & Anthony Elor

     

    The Cross River State High Court, Calabar Division, in Suit No: HC/22F/22, filed by our client, Benjamin Seshe, against the Inspector General of Police, Nigeria Police Force, Commissioner Of Police, Cross River State, CP Joseph Agaji, Rtd & Anthony Elor, has ordered the Police to pay our client the sum of Five Million Naira (N5, 000, 000); while Joseph Agaji and Anthony Elor were ordered to pay our client the sum of Two Million Five Hundred Thousand Naira (N2, 500, 000), jointly and severally, as damages for infringing on the fundamental human rights of our client.

    The Court agreed with our argument and held that Joseph Agaji used his influence as a retired commissioner of police to procure the police to arrest and lock up our client for over a month.

    Our client in celebrating this court decision said that Joseph Agaji is their son and they are ready to make peace with him and put to rest the ugly crisis that emanated from a chieftaincy tussle in Ebung Community, Bansara, Ogoja.

    However, he said that the entire community has vowed that for every member of the community CP Agaji got arrested, or will get arrested in future, they will approach the court to seek redress.

    Other members of the community who were locked up for several months by the police at the instance of Agaji are still in court seeking redress.

    – FBI LEGAL

  • Seeds Of Violence: Ogoja/Yala Bye-election BY First BABA ISA

    SEEDS OF VIOLENCE – OGOJA/YALA BY-ELECTION

    The police is right now preventing the PDP from holding a rally on a private property. Read that again: I say, private property.

    The police has no powers to do this. The police don’t even have the powers to grant or refuse approval to hold rallies. People who keep applying to the police to get this approval keep sustaining the illegal impression that the police has such powers. They don’t.

    Yesterday, a purported APC over N200m-budget for the Ogoja/Yala Federal Constituency By-election hit social media. I didn’t comment on that because as a lawyer, I love direct and incontrovertible evidence but there is something also known as circumstantial evidence.

    Millions were budgeted to bribe the police in that budget and today the police has been deployed to carry out a grossly illegal assignment. Are you thinking what I am thinking? It takes a lot, including money, to deploy the police like that. If that budget is real, then the owners of that budget truly has the money to fund illegality. Can the police be used against those who has such election budgetary provisions for them? If no, then who is using the police right now? There is something known as circumstantial evidence.

    Now, to the crux of the matter.

    Whoever or whatever is making the police act this way should be called to order immediately. By this act, the very institution saddled with the responsibility to tame violence is being used by politicians to sow seeds of violence; and when these seeds are allowed to blossom, Cross River State will be the worst for it. This is a state that is yet to recover from the #EndSARS protests that later snowballed into Covid19 palliatives looting.

    It’s like the Governor has forgotten the tears he shed for peace to return. We all wept with him. We don’t want a repeat. The Governor is the Choirmaster of politics with ethics and the humanity mantra. It’s time for him to walk his talk.

    We can do this politics and hold elections without harassment, intimidation and violence. No one has the right to tell a political party where to hold their rally or flag off their campaign.

    Some APC members say it is foolishness to flag off the PDP campaign for Ogoja/Yala By-election in Calabar. Then why are you worried? Why are you afraid? Why not allow them to do their “foolishness” and then bank on it to win the by-elections? Why are you using the police to prevent a “foolishness” that is not illegal?

    Stop supporting this, and just dismissing it with “it’s politics”. These seeds of violence you are sowing or encouraging in the name of politics, will swallow you up tomorrow.

    – By First Baba Isa (FBI)