The Cross River State Police Command yesterday paraded a retired Deputy Superintendent of Police, Mr. Christopher Archibong, 55, for defiling a nine-year-old girl (name withheld).
Parading Archibong alongside 62 other criminal suspects at the command's headquarter in Calabar, the state Commissioner of Police, Mr. Hafiz Inuwa, said the retired traffic warden committed the crime on May 31, 2017, in Calabar.
Inuwa explained that the suspect lured the victim into his uncompleted building, adding that Archibong threatened to kill the little girl when she initially resisted him.
He said, "On May 31, 2017, one traffic warden officer who retired as a DSP, Mr. Christopher Archibong, 55, defiled a nine-year-old girl. On June 5, 2017, when she could no longer bear it, she informed her mother of the incident and the case was reported to the police on June 7, 2017. Upon his arrest, the suspect confessed to the crime and he will be charged to court soon."
But in an interview with Punch Metro, Archibong denied the matter, saying the whole incident was a setup.
He said, "I was set up by my close neighbours who got jealous of me after I bought a piece of land to build my house. I retired as a DSP in February this year, I am a law abiding citizen of Nigeria. I did not rape the girl as it is said," he said.
When asked why he confessed to committing the crime in his statement, Archibong simply said, "I was under pressure, so, I had to admit."
The commissioner also paraded 10 murder suspects for allegedly killing four people during a clash between two rival cult groups, Klans and Baggers, confraternity in Ochong community in Obubra Local Government Area of the state.
"On June 8, 2017, we received an intelligence report in our Ikom Area Command office that two rival cult groups, clans and baggers confraternity clashed in Ochong community and the conflict led to the killing of four persons.
"As a result, 10 suspects believed to be principal actors in the murder case were arrested. Investigation is still on, while those arrested will soon be charged to court," he said.
Similarly, the Commissioner also paraded one Nnamoso Okon and Victor Edet for stealing a car battery from the vehicle of a police officer who was on night duty on July 2, 2017.
He added that during searching, the police recovered 12 car batteries from the two suspects.
"From May 2017 till date, the Cross River police command has arrested a total of 63 suspects for various offences committed across the state.
"So far, we have recovered nine locally made pistols, seven live cartridges, 12 car batteries, four rounds of 9mm ammunition, three machetes, 10 motor batteries, armoured cables, three plasma television among others," he said.
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