The Cross River State Police Command has arrested a 24-year-old student of the University of Cross River State, UNICROSS, over a viral video which police say showed shots being fired from a moving vehicle within the Calabar metropolis.
The suspect, Emmanuel Ejim Ejim, was arrested following the circulation of the video in the early hours of September 17, 2026, after the Commissioner of Police in the state, CP Ajo Geoffrey Ordue, ordered the immediate identification and arrest of those involved.
Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Sunday Eitokpah, disclosed the development in a statement made available to journalists on Saturday in Calabar.
According to the command, operatives of the Violence Crime Response Unit, acting under the supervision of the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of Operations, began tracking the vehicle captured in the footage and located it at about 11:30 p.m. on September 17.
“The Cross River State Police Command has arrested a 24-year-old man, Emmanuel Ejim Ejim, in connection with a viral video believed to depict suspected cult members in a moving vehicle allegedly firing shots sporadically within the Calabar metropolis,” the statement said.
Police said the driver of the vehicle was first apprehended and that information obtained during questioning subsequently led investigators to a hotel in Calabar, where Ejim was arrested.
The command said preliminary investigation identified Ejim as the key suspect allegedly seen firing the shots in the viral footage.
According to the police, Ejim, a student of UNICROSS, allegedly identified himself during questioning as a leader of the Vikings Confraternity and allegedly admitted that he was the person seen firing the weapon in the video.
“Preliminary investigation identified the key suspect as Emmanuel Ejim Ejim, male, 24 years. The suspect, a student of the University of Cross River State, UNICROSS, allegedly identified himself during questioning as a leader of the Vikings Confraternity and allegedly admitted to being the person seen firing the shots in the viral video,” the police said.
The command further stated that Ejim claimed he had participated in a sign-out activity on the day of the incident and that the pistol allegedly used in the video had been handed to him by another person suspected to be a member of the group.
“The suspect further allegedly stated that he participated in a sign-out activity on the day of the incident and that the pistol allegedly used in the video was handed to him by another suspected member of the group,” the statement added.
Police said investigators are now working to establish how the firearm was obtained, the circumstances surrounding its possession and the movement of the vehicle seen in the footage.
Efforts have also been intensified to identify and apprehend other persons suspected of involvement.
“Police operatives have intensified efforts to identify and apprehend other persons connected with the incident, while the circumstances surrounding the possession of the firearm and the movement of the vehicle remain subjects of investigation,” the command said.
CP Ordue has directed that the investigation be thorough, warning that the unlawful discharge of firearms in public places poses a serious danger to lives and public safety.
The police have not indicated that Ejim has been convicted of any offence. The allegations against him, including the claimed cult affiliation and his alleged role in the shooting, remain subject to investigation and any subsequent court proceedings.
