Akwa Ibom Police Operatives Arrest 2 Suspects, Recover Firearms

Operatives of the Akwa Ibom State Police Command have swooped on two criminal suspects in separate operations and arrested them for unlawful possession of firearms in Ibeno and Eket local government areas.

The Police Public Petitions Officer (PPRO), DSP Timfon John, who made the disclosure yesterday, recalled that “the first incident, on February 22, 2025, occurred at about 11:00 hours, following intelligence from a law abiding citizen, that one Nehemiah Sunday Udo, 65 -years -old, of Ekpene Obo village in Esit Eket LGA, was in possession of a firearm.”

She explained that “the suspect was accosted along Ibeno Beach Road and taken to the village Head’s palace,” adding that “a Police patrol team was swiftly deployed to the scene, and the suspect, along with the recovered exhibits were taken to the Divisional Headquarters for further investigation.”
She listed the recovered exhibits to include one double-barrel long gun, one cartridge, one torchlight, and one traveller’s bag containing clothes.

“During interrogation, the suspect claimed to be a member of the Professional Hunters Association of Nigeria (PHAN),” she said, assuring that investigations were ongoing to ascertain his true identity and mission in the area.

In a separate development, Miss John recalled that “on February 21, 2025, at about 20:10 hours, Police operatives on a routine raid and stop-and-search operation along Ikot Udoma Road, Eket LGA arrested one Emmanuel Sylvanus Ekan, in possession of a locally made pistol,” adding that “the suspect was immediately taken into custody and detained for further investigation.”

The commissioner of Police (CP) in the state, Baba Azare, Miss John, warned has zero tolerance for criminal elements,  reiterating the Command’s commitment to ensuring the safety of all residents, maintenance of law and order, and urged the public to report any suspicious characters to the nearest police station for immediate action.