Police arrest 5 armed robbery suspects in Calabar

After few hours of exchange of gunfire, men of the Special Anti-robbery Squad (SARS) of the Cross River police command on Thursday arrested five suspected armed robbers who were robbing shops in broad daylight in Calabar South.

Parading the suspect in Calabar, ASP Irene Ugbo, the state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), said a team of about 20 suspected armed robbers in broad day light invaded Ephraim by White House street in Calabar South to rob shop owners.

“Not too long ago, at around 1.30pm we received a distress calls that some a group of armed robbers were at Ephraim by White House terrorizing that area.

“Our men from the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) swung into action and during the process; they engaged the SARS team in a gun duel.

“From what we learnt, they were about 20 of them. Our men were able to arrest five of them while other flew away with several bullet wounds.

“Before our men got there, concerned residents in the area who called our men had already burnt down two of the suspected armed robbers’’

She said the new commissioner of Police in the state; Mr Hafiz Inuwa has zero tolerance for crime in the state, adding that crime would not be condoned.

“You can see the bullet wounds on their body; we will provide first aid for them to get relief. This will help us get more information that would lead to arrest of those at large.

Five cartridges and four locally made pistols were recovered from the suspects.

The PPRO who thanked members of the public for their timely and useful information that led to the arrest of some members of the robbery gang, encouraged them to always call the command in similar incidents.