By Ike Uchechukwu, CALABAR
The Cross River State Police Command on Wednesday arrested a 27-year-old man, Victor Edet Yellow Duke, in connection with an attack on the convoy of the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC, Mr Peter Obi, in Calabar, the state capital.
The attack left the windshields of some vehicles smashed.
The incident occurred at about 2:20 p.m. at the Watt Market Roundabout as the convoy was returning from the palace of the Obong of Calabar to Metropolitan Hotel, the venue of the party’s presidential town hall meeting.
According to the police, a group of suspected hoodlums, reportedly armed with machetes and sticks, emerged from the Calabar Road and Clerks Alley axis and attacked vehicles in the convoy.
The number of vehicles affected had not been ascertained.
Police personnel deployed in the area moved in swiftly to contain the situation. Their intervention, which included the use of tear gas, led to the arrest of the suspect, while the other attackers fled.
The suspect was later taken to the State Police Headquarters by operatives of the Violent Crime Response Unit, VCRU, for what the command described as a discreet investigation, to prevent reprisals or a further breakdown of law and order. Normalcy has since returned to the area.
In a statement by its Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Sunday Eitokpah, the command said the Commissioner of Police, CP Ajo Geoffrey Ordue, had ordered a thorough investigation to identify and arrest other participants and establish the full circumstances of the incident.
Cautioning against presuming the suspect’s guilt, the police said: “The arrest of a suspect does not amount to a determination of guilt, as the suspect remains entitled to the presumption of innocence pending the conclusion of investigation and any subsequent judicial proceedings.”
The command assured residents, political stakeholders and visitors that adequate security measures remained in place across the state.
It reiterated its commitment to “providing equal security protection to all political parties, candidates and their supporters, irrespective of political affiliation.”
It also urged the public to stay calm, avoid spreading unverified information and report suspicious activities through established police channels.
Eitokpah added: “The Cross River State Police Command remains committed to maintaining public safety, protecting democratic participation and ensuring that all lawful political activities are conducted in a peaceful and secure environment.”
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