Asuquo Cletus
The Cross River State Police Command has denied allegations of brutality against a man seen in a viral video involving operatives of the Operation Anti-Kidnapping Unit, popularly known as the Dragon Squad, insisting that officers acted professionally and within the law.
The Command said the incident occurred yesterday at about 12:45pm during a routine township patrol around the Ettagbor axis of Calabar.
According to a statement signed by the Sunday Eitokpah the command’s Public Relations Officer, the Police, operatives on patrol sighted a white Mercedes-Benz with what they described as a suspicious and improperly assigned registration number, which aroused their suspicion.
“The team attempted to stop the vehicle to question the occupants and ascertain the true ownership of the car, but the occupants refused to stop and instead drove into a popular telecommunications gadget complex known as Tonimas, opposite the University of Calabar, with the patrol team following closely,” the statement said.
The Police explained that efforts to convey the suspect and the vehicle to the unit’s base for proper investigation were met with stiff resistance, as the man allegedly incited gadget vendors, students and passers-by by falsely claiming that officers were attempting to arrest and extort him unlawfully.
The situation, the Command said, became tense as members of the public turned hostile and attacked the officers with stones and sticks, forcing the operatives to call for reinforcement.
With the arrival of operatives from Operation Sting, Anti-Cultism and Paramilitary Intervention, also known as Operation Okowor, the suspect was eventually subdued and placed in a patrol van.
However, the Police said the suspect jumped out of the vehicle and attempted to escape, violently resisting arrest in the process.
“In the course of the struggle, his shirt was torn, and he also tore the uniform of one of the Anti-Kidnapping operatives,” the statement added.
The suspect was later re-arrested with the support of military personnel, while the agitated crowd was dispersed.
The Police said the man is currently in custody and will be charged in court for assaulting police officers, resisting lawful arrest and conduct likely to cause a breach of public peace.
The Command reaffirmed its commitment to professionalism, respect for human rights and the rule of law, stressing that it does not condone any form of misconduct by its personnel.
It urged members of the public to remain calm, avoid spreading unverified information and continue to cooperate with security agencies in maintaining peace and security in the state.
