Operatives of the Akwa Ibom State Police Command have stormed crime-prone areas, arresting suspected cultists, armed robbers, kidnappers and other sundry criminal elements across the state.
Among those paraded at the Command headquarters, Ikot Akpanabia, near Uyo at the weekend were gang members allegedly involved in rival cult war in Oron and Mbo local government areas which led to the gruesome murder one Paul Eyo, whose mangled remains were later retrieved by the Police.
Parading the suspects, the state’s Commissioner of Police, CP Joseph Eribo, recalled that, “The Police were alerted of the presence of a corpse with mark of violence on it by the youth leader, who alleged that the dead body is one Paul Eyo, a suspected member of Black Axe from Eyo Abasi, who was given machete cuts on his head leading to his death, while one Ekpe, from Eyo Abasi, a suspected member of Vikings cult group was also beheaded.”
Citing credible intelligence on Abiak Owo Ebughu in Mbo local government area, he said police arrested Mfon Etim Uzoma, Robert Effiong Etim, Malachi Williams Ubokulo at a ravine in the village and exhibits recovered.
He listed the recovered exhibits to include two fez caps with Vikings insignia, one LG 14 – inch TV, one Shovel, one Camp Gas, one amplifier, six spring matrass, one plastic table, one plastic chair, four motorcycles.
The CP added that the suspects will be charged to court upon the completion of investigation by the police.
Similarly, CP Eribo, said operatives of the Command while on patrol along Calabar/Itu Road saw four men on one bike who upon sighting the police, took to their heels.
He said the team immediately swung into action by pursuing the fleeing suspects and arrested Daniel Patrick from Ibiono Ibom LGA and Idongesit Ini from Ikot Mbang village, also in Ibiono Ibom LGA areas of the state.
On a thorough search of both men, the CP disclosed that one locally made pistol and two live cartridges were recovered from them.
He added that the arrested suspects confessed to the crime of illegal possession of firearms and led operatives to Ikot Obio Oma in Ibiono LGA where their arms supplier named Elijah Sunday Effiong, was arrested.
Items recovered during the raid include two locally made long guns, two live cartridges, 12 refilled cartridges, four empty shells to be refilled, one sack containing gunpowder and one container of carbide.
Besides, he said, “Operatives of the Command received a distress call from one man (name withheld) that his Jinbei Hiase bus was stolen at Akpa Ube Street, Uyo, where he parked it due to a minor fault.
“The vehicle was traced to a scrap dump at the Mechanic Village, Afaha Offot, Uyo where the vehicle had been butchered into pieces by the receiver, one Ike Chimieze , who is the receiver of the stolen vehicle.
“He was arrested and he took the operatives to the premises of one Matthew Chimeze, who stole the vehicle and sold the vehicle to him.”
In the same vein, police operatives on patrol along Atiku Abubakar Avenue flyover leading to Idoro Road in Uyo, noticed a parked tricycle.
“On sighting the Police, they fled in their vehicle. The team pursued them and the residents within that Ikot Obio Enang community helped to block the two suspects and the Police arrested one Prince Martin Odo, and Humble Ezekiel Odo.
“One of the suspects threw away a locally made double barrel pistol into the nearby bush, the police recovered the double barrel pistol, conducted a thorough search on their tricycle and recovered a bag containing a big cutter, a small cutter, one plier, two and spanners.”
In the same vein, two suspected armed robbers namely, Tony Ntuen Uso and Iniobong Effiong Johnny of Mbierebe Obio, Ibesikpo LGA were arrested after they allegedly snatched one Q-link motorcycle at gun-point along Obio Ndobo village in Uruan LGA.
The stolen motorcycle reportedly belongs to one Emmanuel Edem Okon.
