The Police in Cross River on Friday said they had arrested five suspected rapists and 53 others for various offences in the state.

Commissioner of Police in the state, Mr Hafiz Inuwa, told journalists in Calabar that the command was determined to rid the state of all forms of criminality.

Inuwa said that the suspects were arrested in Bekwarra Local Government Area on Oct. 2, 2018.

He explained that the arrest followed a petition brought by one Adie Christopher to Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad (FSARS) in Ogoja.

He said that the team immediately swung into action and arrested the suspects at Gakim community in Bekwarra Local Government Area.

“On Oct. 2, 2018, we received a petition in our FSARS unit in Ogoja over a rape incident. Our men quickly swung into action and the five suspects were arrested,” he said.

The commissioner, who presented the all the suspects to newsmen, said that eight were suspected kidnappers who were arrested at various spots across the state from September till date.

“As part of the achievement recorded by the command between September and now, we also arrested 24 suspected armed robbers and 12 suspects for stealing.

“Also, six suspects were arrested for cultism and three for unlawful possession of firearms.

“We recovered 13 firearms and three vehicles, while efforts are on to arrest some fleeing suspects,” he said.

He warned those involving in all forms of illegality to desist from it, saying that the fight against crime remained continuous in the state.

The police boss also presented five cheques worth over N3million to beneficiaries of Police personnel who lost their lives in the line of duty.

He said that the gesture was from the Inspector-General of Police with the objective of improving the living standard of families of the deceased.

One of the beneficiaries, Mr Otu Uket, who lost his wife, a sergeant, during child labour a few months ago, commended the IGP for his magnanimity.

Uket, who received a cheque of N1million, told NAN that the money would go a long way in taking care of the educational need of his two children. (NAN)