The Cross River State Police Command has arrested a 57-year-old farmer, Akan Patrick, over the alleged killing of two men in Odukpani Local Government Area of the state.
The command’s spokesperson, ASP Sunday Eitokpah, confirmed the development, explaining that the investigation began after the suspect’s wife, Regina Akan Patrick, reported him missing on May 25 at the Odukpani Divisional Headquarters.
According to her report, Patrick had left for his farm in the Okong community and failed to return home. She noted that he usually spent about a week on the farm before coming back, but all attempts to reach him proved unsuccessful, prompting her to notify the police.
Eitokpah said intelligence gathering and subsequent investigations led to Patrick’s arrest, during which he allegedly confessed to killing the two victims. However, he claimed he acted in self-defence.
The suspect told investigators that in November 2025, two youths confronted him on his farmland, demanding 14 bags of cannabis and threatening him with firearms. He said he reported the incident to community leaders, who detained the youths for questioning.
According to Patrick, the community leaders later found no evidence to support his claims and ordered that the two men be released. He further alleged that the youths attacked him shortly after the meeting.
Patrick claimed that during the ensuing struggle, he pushed both men into a nearby river, where they drowned. He admitted that he did not report the incident to the authorities because he feared being exposed for cultivating cannabis illegally.
The police spokesperson said the suspect remains in custody and will be charged in court upon the conclusion of investigations.
