There has been a rift between the Cross River State Police command and one of the aides of the governor, Bassey Otu, over the enforcement of the motorcycle restriction order in the state capital, Calabar Metropolis.
Otu’s special adviser on general duties, Mr Ekpenyong Akiba, had during an interview accused the state police among other security agencies of illegal involvement in the restriction enforcement.
Akiba also condemned the alleged conduct of some security agencies who he accused of using the restriction enforcement as an avenue to extort motorcycle riders.
The governor’s aide made these allegations while speaking on the suspension of the task force enforcing the motorcycle restriction after a protest that rocked parts of Calabar on Tuesday.
His words: “The enforcement was supposed to be for the office of the state security adviser but today, other police commands, civil defense commands, are now enforcing and using it as an avenue for extortion.
“Any act of irresponsibility is totally condemned.”
In his response to the allegations, the commissioner of police in a statement by the Police Public Relations Officer, Mr Eitokpah Sunday Akata, dissociated the command from the directives and debunked police involvement in the enforcement of the restriction.
The command clarified that the restriction is solely a policy of the state government being implemented through the office of the senior state adviser on security under the Operation Okwok initiative.
The command also rejected claims that the CP had authorized some offices to participate in the enforcement of the policy or collect money from commercial motorcyclists, insisting that the restriction neither originated from nor is enforced by the state police command.
“The attention of the Cross River State Police command has been drawn to a news report aired by AIT featuring an interview granted by the Special Adviser on General Duties to the Cross River State Government, Barr. Ekpenyong Akiba, concerning the suspension of the task force responsible for enforcing the motorcycle restriction within the Calabar Metropolis following the protest of Tuesday, 7 July 2026.
“The command wishes to state categorically that the directive restricting the operation of motorcycles in designated areas of the Calabar Metropolis is a policy of the Cross River State Government, implemented through the office of the Senior State Adviser on Security and the Operation Okwok initiative. The policy neither originated from nor is enforced by the Cross River State Police command.
“It is pertinent to state that, under the directive of the commissioner of police, personnel of the Cross River State Police command, led by the deputy commissioner of Police in charge of operations, alongside area commanders, divisional police officers, and other operational commanders, promptly restored calm, safeguarded lives and property, and ensured the peaceful restoration of public order across the affected areas during the protest.
“The command further states unequivocally that at no time has the Commissioner of Police, Cross River State command, directed any police officer or other personnel of the command to enforce the motorcycle restriction or collect money from any motorcyclist under the guise of enforcing the policy.”
Further, the police condemned in strong terms, all forms of extortion, abuse of office, and unprofessional conduct.
It also reaffirmed its commitment to upholding the highest standards of professionalism, accountability, transparency, and respect for the rule of law in the discharge of its constitutional responsibilities.
