The Chief Security Officer (CSO) of Marian Market in Calabar, simply identified as Bernard Thompson has been arrested for incessant stealing of goods from the market worth millions of naira.
CONVERSEER gathered that Thompson was arrested on Saturday (Sept. 23) after market men and women had reported him to the Police following the disappearance of their goods.
He was arrested by the tactical unit of the Police known as Anti-Kidnapping and Cultism Squd (aka Dragon Squad), after which he confessed to stealing the goods overnight.
Thompson met his Waterloo after his girlfriend was caught at the Beach Market selling stockfish and crayfish in bags belonging to one of the businessmen who sell at Marian Market.
“Our goods have been missing in the market and we don’t know who used to take them. The market is always locked at night and on Sunday but each time we come in the morning, one or more people will complain of missing goods. So, last week, one of those persons whose stockfish and crayfish had been missing got to know that a woman was selling them at the Beach Market – and these types of stuff usually have numbers on them – that’s why he was able to identify them.
“After interrogation, the lady said it was her lover who gave it to her and all fingers pointed to the CSO. That was how he was arrested,” a source who sells in the market, said.
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When arrested, Thompson lied that the goods were in his lover’s house at Asari Iso. “But, when we went to his woman’s house, we did not see anything. He even tried to bribe me with land. He said he’d share a piece of land with me if I free him,” one of the security personnel said.
On Tuesday (Sept. 26), Thompson was taken to his house at Ediba where most of the goods were found after being reported by his son.
“His son, Victor, went to the market today (Tuesday) to report that his father has been keeping the things in their house.
“The Anti-Cultism (Dragon Squad) went to his house at Ediba where they recovered three bags of stockfish, some bags of crayfish, plantains, bags of rice, and several other goods, including petrol generators,” another source said.
The owner of the stockfish and crayfish said a bag of stockfish worth over N200,000.
CONVERSEER further learned that Thompson has been working as a security man at Marian Market for over 6 years and he’s living in the house of a former Chief Judge of the state as a security personnel.
He has bought two plots of land from working as a security personnel.
When contacted, SP Irene Ugbo, Police Public Relations Officer in Cross River State told our Reporter she was going to inquire from the Dragon Squad.
“On Saturday, when I went to market, I saw policemen raiding the place but I am not too sure, let me confirm from their OC,” Ugbo said.
When our Reporter called back on two occasions at the stipulated time, Ugbo’s phone line was busy.
