The Police command in Cross River State has paraded 12 suspected cultists in Calabar, the Cross River State capital.
Parading the suspects, the state Commissioner of Police, Mohammed Inuwa Hafiz said suspects were arrested in Obudu local government area of the state.
“In our quest to ensure that the election take place peacefully, we made arrest of some hoodlums that are not from Obudu that went there with intention of fomenting trouble.
“These hoodlums are cultists and they were arrested irrespective of party affiliation. They were there to foment trouble, because we, Police, were there to discharge our constitutional responsibility with a view to ensuring that nobody gets hurt.
“Two of them, who are very notorious and have been on our wanted lists, are Maxillo, he is a dreaded Vicking member, and Ubong is a dreaded Skylo cultist’s member,” he stated.
The Police commissioner said some of the suspects have been on the Police wanted lists, “We know that for them to go to Obudu obviously, they are going there with intention to committing crime.
“They are not in position with any voter’s registration, their voting registration centre are not in Obudu, so why were they there and they were arrested with exhibits, three cartridges, two fire arms, one revolver pistols and one locally made pistol and three lives ammunition.
“What were they doing with these arms,” he asked, adding that “They were ostensibly going there to commit crime and criminality, so they were arrested.
“Prior to this also, 10 persons were arrested with additional fire arms, so after due investigations, they were quickly charge to court right there in Obudu. They were arrested with arms.
The Commissioner of Police warned political parties that had any intention of fomenting trouble or thwarting the peaceful conduct of elections, to be mindful.
“We will not fold our arms to allow criminality to thrive. Anybody who tries to dare us, who tries to test the will of security officers will not be allowed to escape.
“We will provide enabling environment for peaceful conduct of election, we are not to conduct election but to provide enabling environment where everybody will feel free to go and exercise their franchise” Hafiz stated.
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