Police recover firearms, intensify manhunt for suspected cultists

Etim Ekpimah

The Akwa Ibom State Police Command has recorded another operational success with the recovery of firearms and other dangerous weapons following actionable intelligence in Uyo.

On 27 January 2026, at about 3:30 p.m., operatives of the Command, acting on credible information, received reports that suspected members of the Vikings Confraternity were holding a meeting at Ikot Okubo, near a transformer along Abak Road, Uyo.

Upon swift deployment to the location, police operatives stormed the area. The suspects fled on sighting the police, abandoning several dangerous weapons at the scene.

Items recovered during the operation include: One locally made double-barrel gun loaded with two cartridges; two locally made pistols, each loaded with one cartridge, and one cutlass.

Following the operation, the Command has deployed covert surveillance teams and intensified patrols and raids within the area and its environs. Efforts are ongoing to arrest one Solo (male), identified as the group’s leader (001), as well as other fleeing suspects.

The Commissioner of Police, Akwa Ibom State Command, has reaffirmed the Command’s resolve to rid the state of criminal elements and warned that no individual or group threatening public peace will be spared.

Members of the public are urged to remain vigilant and continue to provide timely and credible information to the police to enhance crime prevention and public safety.