In the ongoing crackdown on criminal elements, operatives of the Akwa Ibom State Police Command have smashed two syndicates of armed robbers and vandals of public assets in parts of the State.
The Police spokesperson, DSP Timfon John, who disclosed this to journalists at the weekend at the Command’s headquarters, Ikot Akpanabia, near Uyo, the State capital, said the intelligence-led policing strategy of the commissioner of police, CP Baba Azare, has yielded positive results.
Four criminal suspects involved in vandalism and armed robbery activities, according to her, were apprehended by Police operatives with some incriminating items recovered from them.
She said: “At approximately 9:30 pm on August 18, 2025, Police successfully arrested a suspected habitual vandal following an intelligence-led raid.
“Acting on a credible information, operatives of the Command mobilised to raid the premises of one God’stime Emmanuel James, a 23-year-old from Midim waterside in Abak local government area.
“James, who had previously fled the community, was wanted in connection with the vandalisation of school structures and private homes.
“Upon arrival, officers sighted James and several other unknown individuals. James was apprehended during the raid, while the others escaped into a nearby creek on sighting the Police vehicle.
“Items recovered from the scene include a small handbag containing dried leaves suspected to be cannabis, four door handles, a mini flashlight, and several parts of damaged door locks,” she stated.
In a related development, the PPRO disclosed that operatives successfully busted a three-man armed robbery syndicate believed to be responsible for a series of early morning robberies within the Uyo capital city.
“At approximately 0700 hours, a a 32-year-old female resident of Sampson Akpan Street, Uyo, reported to the Police that while on a morning walk -out along Believers Assembly Road by Udo Udoma Avenue, she was accosted by two armed men on a black motorcycle.
“The suspects pointed a locally-made pistol at her, threatened her life, and robbed her of an iPhone 12 Pro, valued at N650,000.
“Further investigation revealed that this same criminal syndicate had robbed at least five other citizens on the same date and was responsible for multiple armed robberies during early morning hours in the city.
“Through discreet investigations, operatives of the Command successfully arrested one Ubong Michael Patrick, a 27-year-old indigene of Ikpa Ibiono community in Ibiono Ibom LGA.
“During interrogation, he confessed to the crime and led the police to arrest two other members of the gang: one Ibrahim Kanu, 20 years, a native of Gorore community in Adamawa State, and Nazipi Dahiru, 25 years, a native of Gombe State. Both men are residents of ‘Nassarawa’, a community in Itam, Itu LGA,” she said.
Items recovered, the PPRO added, included one black operational motorcycle, one locally-made pistol and one long dagger knife, adding that
“peliminary findings indicate that the stolen phones were packaged and transported to Kano State for sale to unsuspecting buyers.”
“Efforts are currently underway to recover the stolen items. The Akwa Ibom State Police Command reassures citizens of its commitment to ensuring the safety and security of all residents and is urging the public to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activities to the nearest Police station,” she stressed.
