A’Ibom Police recover stolen Hilux, nab suspected cultist
The Akwa Ibom State Police Command has recovered a Toyota Hilux reported stolen in Uyo and arrested a 21-year-old suspected cultist allegedly found with three live cartridges in separate operations.
The operations, conducted on August 7, 2026, form part of the command’s intensified efforts to disrupt vehicle theft, cult-related activities and other criminal operations across the state.
Etim Ekpimah
The Akwa Ibom State Police Command has recovered a Toyota Hilux reported stolen in Uyo and arrested a 21-year-old suspected cultist allegedly found with three live cartridges in separate operations.
The operations, conducted on August 7, 2026, form part of the command’s intensified efforts to disrupt vehicle theft, cult-related activities and other criminal operations across the state.
In the first incident, police operatives on routine patrol at about 3 pm sighted two men driving a Toyota Hilux with a black bonnet and registration number NYA 399 AA.
The vehicle had been reported stolen the previous day from Udo Eduok Street, off Aka Road, Uyo.
The suspects reportedly abandoned the vehicle and fled into a bush after sighting the patrol team. Police officers pursued them to a non-motorable road, but they escaped before they could be apprehended.
The vehicle was subsequently recovered, while its owner, identified as Mr Reginald, was contacted and confirmed it as his property.
The Hilux has been taken into police custody as investigations continue, with efforts intensified to identify and arrest the fleeing suspects.
In a separate operation at about 11.30 pm the same day, police officers conducting stop-and-search operations along Abak Road, near the Federal Secretariat in Uyo, arrested Emmanuel Emmanson, 21, from Mkpat Enin Local Government Area.
Three live cartridges were reportedly recovered from the suspect.
According to the police, preliminary investigation indicated that Emmanson allegedly confessed to being a member of the Black Axe Confraternity and claimed that the cartridges were intended for a cult initiation exercise in a bush.
The suspect remains in police custody as investigators work to establish the circumstances surrounding the possession of the cartridges and identify other suspected members of the group.
The Commissioner of Police, Akwa Ibom State Command, Baba Mohammed Azare, commended the operatives for their vigilance and professionalism.
He said the command would sustain intelligence-led operations, stop-and-search exercises and other proactive policing measures aimed at disrupting criminal networks and protecting lives and property across the state.
The Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Timfon John, urged residents to remain vigilant and provide timely information on suspicious persons, vehicles and activities to enable the command to respond swiftly to emerging security threats.
