Cross River Police Command Disowns Sahara Reporters’ Claim

By Missang Akpet

The Cross River State Police Command has denied confirming a report by Sahara Reporters claiming that two men died after attacking each other with machetes in Akpapokoyong community, Odukpani Local Government Area of the state.

The Command stated that although it received informal information suggesting that an incident may have occurred, no official report was made and no preliminary investigation had been conducted at the time the story was published.

On Tuesday, 20 January 2026, Sahara Reporters published a story with the headline, “Police Confirm Two Men Dead After Attacking Each Other With Machetes In Cross River Community.”

Reacting to the report, the Police Public Relations Officer of the Cross River State Command, ASP Sunday Eitokpah, said the police did not confirm the incident to the media.

According to him, the Command became aware of the publication on 20 January 2026, which has been circulating on social media, but described the claim as false and misleading.

He explained that no police officer, including the Police Public Relations Officer, was contacted or authorised to confirm such information.

While acknowledging that the Command received informal reports that an incident may have taken place in the community, ASP Eitokpah stressed that official confirmation can only be made after a formal report and a preliminary investigation, neither of which had occurred before the publication.

He therefore described the assertion that the police confirmed the incident as incorrect.

The Command urged media organisations to always verify information through official police channels before publication to avoid misinformation, adding that investigations into the incident were ongoing and updates would be provided when necessary.