A number of police men who kept guard at the Cross River State police command headquarters have been arrested and detained for feigning ignorance over the escape of, at least, 19 armed robbers.

The incident happened on Sunday night when the criminals reportedly used hacksaw to cut the iron keys to their cells.

Sources at the police command headquarters hinted reporters about the mass escape of the robbers.

“As I speak to you, the station guard and some other officers are being detained. This could not have happened with the SARS. Our lives are in danger”, one of the sources disclosed.

According to the source who begged not to be named, none of the escapees has been re- arrested as at midmorning on Monday.

However, the Police PRO, Irene Ugbo admitted that the police were able to re-arrest only three who attempted to escape.

She said but they have despatched crack teams across the city to track the runaway robbers

She said, “The information is not true. Only three robbers attempted to escape but were arrested and returned to the cell”.