The Akwa Ibom State Police Command at the weekend said operatives of the force have swooped on no fewer than 136 suspects alleged to have committed sundry crimes across the state in the last couple of months.

The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), SUPOL Odiko Macdon, who paraded the suspects at the police headquarters, Ikot Akpanabia, on behalf of the Commissioner of Police (CP), Mr Amiengheme Andrew, said the breakthrough was in line with a decision to make the state one of the safest in Nigeria.

Among those paraded were two suspected militants from neighbouring Cameroon; Adede De Black and Fombutu as well as a Nigerian accomplice, Bernard Mfam, from Ikom Local Government Area of Cross River state.

The police spokesman said they were apprehended by the men of the AIG border patrol squad along Okob-Oron highway, during stop and search operations leading to the recovery of explosives including two bags of dynamites, charms and other dangerous weapons.

Four suspects; Emmanuel Effiong, Ibanga Effiong, Editi Effiong and Idorenyin Etim Orok, from Ikot Okubo in Ibesikpo Asutan Local Government Area, were apprehended for allegedly stealing a six months-old-baby, who was rescued and reunited with parents after the suspects had concluded arrangement to sell the baby for N400,000 to a stand-by buyer.

Also, a 60-year-old grandmother, one Margaret Akpan, from Ekpeme Ukim in Uruan Local Government Area was paraded for allegedly stealing a seven weeks old baby from a relative after sending the mother, Blessing Ekwere, on an errand.

Kidnapping and armed robbery syndicates were apprehended when operatives stormed cultists’ hideouts in Inen Ikot Obiom village in Oruk Anam Local Government area and Atai Idung village in Eket Local Government Area.

Some suspects including one Wisdom Akpan; Uyouko Uko were arrested with dangerous weapons at Oruk Anam, while no fewer than six suspects were arrested in the raid of the cultists’ den in Atai Idun village in Eket with stolen vehicles, cash, phones and other items recovered from the suspects

Several of them, the PPRO said, had since been charged to courts, he appealed to members of the society to be in the vanguard of keeping the state safe from criminal elements through voluntary disclosure of information to security agencies “for quick response to security emergencies.”

Courtesy (excluding headline) Nigerian Tribune

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