A’Ibom command arrests 126 suspects in three months

Ini Billie, Uyo

The Akwa Ibom State Police Command said it arrested a total of 126 suspects within the first quarter of 2023 for various crimes.

The Commissioner of Police, Olatoye Durosinmi said during a press conference at the weekend in Uyo that the crimes for which some of the suspects were paraded include kidnapping, armed robbery, cultism, vandalism, murder and rape.

Durosinmi explained that the synergy between the police and other sister agencies during the period which incidentally covered the pre, during and the post 2023 general elections helped the police to record the feat.

The CP stated that four of the paraded suspects kidnapped a retired permanent secretary in the state, Mr Ignatius Brown, an indigene of Abak local government area, and demanded a ransom of N80million having seen a huge sum in his bank account through the victim’s handset.

He cautioned people to be security conscious and avoid keeping alerts of huge sums in their phones, saying such alerts of huge savings in the account balance made the kidnappers demand a huge ransom sum.

He added that though the police advised the family against paying the kidnappers any ransom, out of desperation, the victim’s family gathered money and paid the suspects.

He, however, said the police operatives were able to trace the kidnapper’s hideout, rescued the victim and arrested some suspects, and recovered one locally made pistol, and three wooden guns, though some of the suspects escaped.

Meanwhile, one of the suspects, Sunday Ekwere confessed to having received N850,000.00 as proceeds from the ransom they collected.

“Sunday Daniel Ekwere ‘m’ of Ibiaka village (d) Emmanuel Mbosowo Friday ‘m’ of Ikot Abasi Akpan village both in Mkpat Enin Local Government Area, who was involved in the kidnapping of Mr Ignatius Brown of Abak Local Government Area, a former Permanent Secretary, were also arrested. The said Sunday Ekwere confessed to having received 850,000.00 as proceed from the ransom

“Anietie Okomba Utoh a.k.a Akpakpa ‘m’ of Ikot Obio Utoh village in Mkpat Enin Local Government Area, (f) Ubong Gideon Akpan a.k.a Udo Power ‘m’ of Ekparakwa village in Oruk Anam Local Government Area, were involved in the kidnapping and attempted murder of Godwin Pius Ekarika of Ikot Obio Utok village and Peter Aniefiok Thompson of Ikot Abiaenin village,” the CP stated.

The Commissioner also paraded three suspects for vandalizing and stealing six mast backup batteries belonging to MTN and AIRTEL Communications Companies, valued at N1.6 million each.

The suspects, Chinwe Precious Nwabara ‘m’, Bright Godswill ‘m’, and Chinedu Divine Nweke ‘m’ who came from Port Harcourt in connivance with an Airtel staff, Tochi, now at large disguised as engineers working on the mast so as to carry out the crime.

The Commissioner further stated that the Eagle Response Squad of the Command tracked the batteries to AKTC motor park where the suspects were trying to waybill it to Port Harcourt, but the suspects were apprehended and the exhibits recovered.

“On 21st March 2023, at about 5:00 pm, based on a reliable report, hoodlums on the same date disguised as engineers, drove with an ash Toyota Camry with Reg. No. KJA 321 FS, around Uyo, Abak, Oron and Okobo locations, vandalized and stole mast backup batteries belonging to MTN and AIRTEL Communications Companies, valued at 1.6 million naira each” he said.

The CP noted that the suspects would be charged in court after investigations, and urged members of the public to be security conscious and provide the police with useful information that would enable them to serve the public better.