The command spokesperson said that the suspects would be arraigned in court next week. However, drama ensued as some of the suspects claimed they were members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and also vigilantes in their community in the Obudu Local Government Area. They also claimed they were never arrested in Ogoja but in Obudu without knowledge of their committed offence.
One of the suspects, Francis Ubi, who claimed to be a coordinator of the APC in his polling unit in Obudu, explained how they were randomly picked by soldiers in Obudu a day before the presidential and National Assembly elections. Mr Ubi also claimed that over N500,000 was paid into his account to coordinate his unit during the elections, and he is also a member of the vigilante. He stated that he had five other members who were also arrested with him.
He further stated that where they were arrested was approved for them to be kept secure by the council chairman, who also approved the use of specific guns for them. He claimed that he was unfamiliar with many other suspects arrested alongside his members. After his arrest, he was taken to an army barracks in Ogoja, where he spent days before being brought to the police command in Calabar on Friday.
Ms Ugbo maintained that the suspects were caught with various arms and ammunition in Ogoja, and they will be punished in accordance with the law of the land. She alleged that the suspects were found to have worked for a candidate during the election, and they would be arraigned in court next week.
Meanwhile, the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Cross River State has rejected the arrest and detention of its members by the police. The party accused the police of bias and called on the Inspector-General of Police to intervene in the matter. The party's Publicity Secretary, Bassey Ita, alleged that the arrest was politically motivated.
He said, “It is on record that the police have been compromised in Cross River State, and that is why we have been calling for the transfer of the Commissioner of Police in the state. The arrest is politically motivated, and we will not accept it. We call on the IGP to intervene in the matter and ensure that our members are released immediately.”
Reacting to the allegation, Ms Ugbo said that the police are not biased and that they are only doing their job. She urged politicians to stop using thugs and criminals to disrupt the election process, warning that anyone caught would face the full wrath of the law.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Cross River State also condemned the alleged electoral offences committed by the suspects. The party called on the police to ensure that they are prosecuted to serve as a deterrent to others.
The PDP Chairman in the state, Edim Inok, said, “We condemn in strong terms the use of thugs and criminals to disrupt the electoral process in our state. We call on the police to ensure that those arrested are prosecuted to serve as a deterrent to others.”
The State Governor, Ben Ayade, also condemned the alleged electoral offences and called for calm. He urged politicians and their supporters to be law-abiding and avoid acts capable of causing a breach of the peace.