The Cross River State Police Command has arrested four additional suspects over the alleged vandalism and theft of equipment belonging to Akamkpa Quarry Limited, popularly known as Sterling Global.
The latest arrests bring the number of suspects apprehended in connection with the alleged vandalism operation to six, following the earlier arrest of Kelvin Ignatius and Arnold Okon.
The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, ASP Sunday Eitokpah, disclosed this in a statement made available to journalists in Calabar on Friday.
According to him, the four suspects were arrested on Thursday, August 27, 2026, by operatives of the Violent Crime Response Unit, Sector 2, Akamkpa/Ugep, following information from the Obung Community in Akamkpa Local Government Area.
Eitokpah said the police received a distress call from the Village Head of Obung Community, HRH Ntufam Elijah Clement Effiong, who reported that youths in the area were pursuing individuals suspected of belonging to a vandalism syndicate.
He said the operatives immediately moved to the community and arrested Michael Ochuche, 20; Elvis Enor Friday, 20; Theophilus Francis, 26; and Charles Vincent Etta, 23.
“Two long iron poles and six iron reinforcement baskets were recovered from the suspects,” the police spokesperson said.
The command said the arrests represented another major step in its investigation into the alleged theft and destruction of critical facilities belonging to the quarry company.
It added that detectives were continuing with the investigation to establish the roles allegedly played by the suspects and trace other individuals who may be linked to the suspected syndicate.
The Commissioner of Police in Cross River State, Ajo-Geoffrey Ordue, praised the VCRU personnel for their swift response and commended the Obung community leadership for promptly alerting the police.
Ordue said the command would continue to rely on intelligence gathering and cooperation with local communities to safeguard critical infrastructure across the state.
“The suspects remain in police custody as investigations continue. We will pursue every available lead and ensure that anyone found culpable faces the full weight of the law,” the commissioner said.
