AK police smash criminal syndicates, arrest five with firearm, drugs
The Akwa Ibom State Police Command has reported two breakthroughs in Uyo and Ibesikpo Asutan Local Government Areas in its crackdown on criminal activities.
The operations, conducted between 25 and 26 April, 2026, resulted in the arrest of five suspects and the recovery of a firearm alongside various illicit substances, a release from the Command showed.
The first success occurred on Saturday, 25 April, at approximately 8:30 pm. Following a period of strategic surveillance, police operatives apprehended Ofonime Tom at Michael Abraham Street, Uyo Metropolis.
Tom is suspected to be a member of a notorious gang that has long terrorised residents of Michael Abraham Street, Nkemba Street, and Ikot Ebido Oku. During a search, officers recovered a locally made pistol from his person.
In a separate operation on Sunday morning, police raided a well-known “black spot” in Ikot Mbou, Ibesikpo Asutan LGA. Acting on directives from the Commissioner of Police, Baba Mohammed Azare, officers stormed a location believed to be a hub for drug distribution.
Four suspects were taken into custody during the raid: Sunday Benedict Asuquo, Abdulkarim Umaru, Yahaya Muhammad, andSherif Baworo.
The raid yielded a variety of incriminating exhibits, including:
Large quantities of suspected Indian hemp, ₦28,000 in cash,
multiple mobile phones, two kitchen knives and two pairs of scissors. All five suspects are currently undergoing interrogation.
CP Baba Mohammed Azare has reaffirmed the Command’s “zero tolerance” policy for criminal activity, warning that the state will remain a “no-go area” for those operating outside the law.
The Command has urged residents to remain vigilant and continue providing timely information to help dismantle remaining criminal networks, promising that all whistleblowing will be treated with the strictest confidentiality.
