Two arrested over alleged filling station robberies in Cross River

The Cross River State Police Command has arrested two men over alleged robberies at filling stations in Calabar and other parts of the state.

The suspects, identified as Samuel Udo Udo, 29, and Ezekiel Dominic, 22, were arrested by operatives of the Vehicle Crime Response Unit (VCRU) following a distress call on September 9, 2026.

The suspects were reportedly apprehended by an angry mob at a filling station around the University of Calabar area and were at risk of being lynched before police operatives arrived and rescued them.

Preliminary investigation indicated that the suspects allegedly posed as customers seeking to buy petrol before they threatened the filling-station attendants and escaped with the fuel.

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Police said 20 litres of petrol and a blue tricycle were recovered from the suspects.

The Command said its investigation had also led to the tracing and arrest of one of the suspects in Kano State, with efforts ongoing to identify and apprehend other persons allegedly linked to the operations.

The Commissioner of Police, CP Ajo Geoffrey Ordue, commended the VCRU operatives for what he described as investigative diligence, intelligence gathering and interstate coordination.

Ordue directed that the cases be thoroughly investigated and that anyone found culpable be prosecuted in accordance with the law.

The Command, however, condemned the attempt by the mob to subject the suspects to jungle justice, urging residents to hand over suspected criminals to the police or other lawful authorities.

It stressed that the suspects remained presumed innocent until proven guilty by a court of competent jurisdiction.

The Command also assured residents that intelligence-led operations against robbery, burglary and other criminal activities would be sustained across the state, while urging the public to continue providing timely and credible information to the police.