A protest by aggrieved residents turned violent on Monday in Cross River State as youths and women from Nwang I and II, along with members of the Ekajuk Clan in Ogoja Local Government Area, stormed the Ogoja Area Command, calling for the release of a suspected killer.
The suspect, Malime Sunday Ejor, 35, had been arrested over the alleged killing of his 26-year-old girlfriend, Moshie Lucy Igu, in Nwang village on Saturday.
The state Police Public Relations Officer, Sunday Etiokpah, disclosed that the suspect was accused of attacking the victim on a farm before dragging her to a nearby stream, where she suffered fatal machete wounds.
He said officers quickly responded to the incident, recovered the victim, and took the suspect into custody, protecting him from an attempted lynching by enraged youths.
Etiokpah added that the victim’s remains were yet to be deposited at the General Hospital mortuary in Ogoja, noting that necessary arrangements were in progress.
The situation, however, deteriorated on Monday when protesters invaded the police facility, insisting that the suspect be released to them.
According to the police spokesperson, the protest escalated into violence as some demonstrators attacked officers and destroyed property within the command premises.
He disclosed that a Hyundai vehicle and parts of the Rapid Response Squad building were damaged during the unrest.
“Information available to us indicates that at about 10:30am on March 30, 2026, women and youths from Nwang I and II, alongside others from Ekajuk Clan, gathered at the Area Command in Ogoja, demanding the release of the suspect who had been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department in Calabar.
“The crowd became aggressive, assaulting officers and vandalising property. Security operatives had to deploy smoke canisters to disperse them, while eight individuals were arrested,” he said.
Etiokpah further stated that calm had been restored, adding that those arrested were later released to a community leader to help de-escalate tensions.
He reiterated that the suspect had been moved to the State Criminal Investigation Department in Calabar for further investigation and urged residents to remain peaceful, assuring that justice would be pursued in accordance with the law.
