The Cross River Police Command has arrested two staff members of Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company (PHEDC) over alleged vandalism of the company’s utility cables.

The two PHEDC staff members were among the 17 suspects paraded for various offences by the Commissioner of Police in the state, Gyogon Grimah, in Calabar on Friday.

Mr Grimah listed the items recovered from the electricity workers as one roll of cable wire, one Nissan Pick Van, a ladder and pliers.

He said other suspects arrested within the last month also included: three notorious armed robbers, six suspected cultists and robbers, five burglary suspects and one arrested for alleged murder.

The police commissioner said the 54-year-old murder suspect confessed to killing his 34-year-old girlfriend.

The murder suspect, who later spoke with reporters, said he was provoked into beating his girlfriend, whom he had dated for two years, to a coma.

As for the burglary/theft suspects, the police commissioner, who disclosed that they were between 20 and 43 years old, said several items were recovered.

He listed the recovered items as four standing iron breakers, one cassava engine grinder, nine engine palms, one iron bowl, and a white cycling fan, all valued at N1.3 million.

Mr Grimah said all the suspects would be charged to court as soon as investigations were concluded on all the matters.

Meanwhile, the police commissioner warned the state’s people against violence, lawlessness and resorting to self-help.

(NAN)