Man arrested for arson, blames mother, Police

The police in Cross River State have arrested a 41-year-old man, Bassey Ekpo, for allegedly setting fire to a house at 8 Miles, Calabar.

The police said Mr Ekpo was arrested on Saturday after the house occupant, Ekemini Stephen, reported the incident at the Ikpa Omin Police Division.

In a statement on Saturday, the police spokesperson in Cross River, Sunday Eitokpah, said Mr Stephen was at church when a neighbour called to inform him that his home was on fire.

The neighbour, with help from other residents, caught the suspect and took him to the police station, according to Mr Eitokpah, who is an assistant superintendent of police.

Suspect blames mother

The police said that during initial questioning, Mr Ekpo claimed that his 61-year-old mother sent him to set the house on fire.

The mother, whose name the police did not give, is currently missing.

According to the statement, police officers visited the scene, documented the incident, and took photographs as part of their investigation.

“The Command assures the public that anyone found guilty will face the full weight of the law,” Mr Eitokpah said.

This latest incident adds to several crime and violence cases that the police in Cross River have been looking into recently.

On 30 August, the police started an investigation into the deaths of two unidentified men who were allegedly attacked by a mob in Calabar South after being suspected of robbery. The men’s bodies were taken from the scene for preservation.

While announcing the investigation, the police warned residents against taking the law into their own hands and urged them to report suspected offenders to law enforcement.

The police also recently looked into the death of a 29-year-old man, Emmanuel Effiong Ita, whose body was found along the Target, Udy King road in Calabar. They also arrested a man for the alleged murder of his six-year-old stepdaughter.

In the current arson case, the police did not reveal the motive behind the alleged attack or the relationship between the suspect, his mother, and the occupant of the burnt house.