The Cross River State Police have arrested five people suspected of stealing motorcycles and tricycles. They also recovered five stolen vehicles during an operation in Calabar, the capital city of the state.
Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Sunday Eitokpah, shared this news in a statement on Wednesday. He explained that the Violent Crime Response Unit in Satellite Town, Calabar, acted on reliable information to take down the suspected gang.
The operation began with the arrest of Effiong Archibong Sunday, who is 28 years old. This happened on August 31, 2026, around 2pm. The police found one motorcycle believed to be stolen with him.
The statement said, "The Cross River State Police Command has recorded another breakthrough in its ongoing efforts against criminal syndicates, following an intelligence-led operation by the Violent Crime Response Unit (VCRU), Satellite Town, Calabar, which led to the arrest of five suspects and the recovery of five vehicles suspected to be stolen."
This operation shows the commitment of the Commissioner of Police, CP Ajo Geoffrey Ordue, to break up criminal networks in the state. During the investigation, the suspect mentioned a person called "Elewe" as part of the gang.
The suspect claimed that Elewe steals motorcycles and tricycles from Akwa Ibom State and sells them to someone named "Efefiong" in Cross River. The police said they are still looking into these claims.
Following the leads from the investigation, VCRU operatives carried out another operation around 3am on September 1, 2026. They arrested four more suspects who are believed to be involved in the receiving and selling of stolen vehicles. The new suspects are Archibong Archibong Nsa, 36; Okon Eyo Nsa, 75; Essien Ukpong, 60; and Nsa Essien Eyo, 24.
The police also searched places connected to the suspects. They found three tricycles and one motorcycle that are suspected to have been stolen. With the motorcycle found earlier, the police have recovered five vehicles in total: three tricycles and two motorcycles. They are now checking the ownership and status of these vehicles.
CP Ajo Geoffrey Ordue praised the VCRU operatives for their quick and professional work. He promised to keep using lawful and intelligence-led strategies against crime in the state.
He warned those involved in stealing, receiving, hiding, or selling stolen vehicles that the police will follow all credible leads and take legal action against anyone found guilty.
"I want to warn anybody involved in the theft, receiving, hiding or selling of stolen vehicles that the Command will pursue all credible leads and take appropriate legal action against anyone found guilty. Motorcycle and tricycle owners and operators should report thefts quickly and provide information to help the police recover stolen property and break up criminal networks."
He added that the public should not take the law into their own hands, avoid unlawful searches, or harass people suspected of crimes. The police are still working to find out who owns the recovered vehicles and to identify others involved in the crimes.
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