The Akwa Ibom State Police Command has dismantled multiple criminal networks, arresting 63 suspects, rescuing 22 victims of human trafficking, and recovering 19 firearms in one month of intensified operations.
Commissioner of Police, Baba Mohammed Azare, disclosed this during a press briefing at the Command Headquarters, Ikot Akpan Abia, on Wednesday.
He said the operations, carried out between August 1 and September 2, 2025, targeted cultists, kidnappers, armed robbers, ritualists, car thieves, and drug dealers.
Police operatives stormed hideouts across Eket, Obot Akara, and Mkpat Enin LGAs, arresting armed cultists and recovering pistols, cartridges, charms, and even a human skull.
In Mkpat Enin, a notorious kidnapper, John Ubong Akpan, was neutralized after opening fire on officers.
Two others, including a gang mastermind known as Igbo Man, were captured in Eket, while two kidnap victims were freed.
Armed robbery rings were also crushed.
In Obot Akara, police raided a shrine where robbers fortified themselves before operations, seizing shotguns, AK-47 rounds, face masks, and motorcycles.
Perhaps the most shocking breakthrough came on August 18, when police rescued 20 Ghanaians—10 men and 10 women—held in Uyo. Investigators suspect the victims had been hypnotized.
Barely a week later, police arrested Alex Omosivie, a 47-year-old trafficker from Edo State, who confessed to selling Nigerian girls to Libya and Burkina Faso for ₦50,000 each.
In Itu LGA, operatives arrested a fake ophthalmologist who charged villagers ₦500 to administer a concoction of olive oil, juice, and water as a supposed cure for eye defects.
Four drug dealers were also caught in Uyo with substances suspected to be cannabis. Meanwhile, vandals targeting transformers and armored cables in Ika and Uyo were arrested with gas cylinders, chains, and cutters.
Above all the CP disclosed the 63 suspects were arrested, including 12 armed robbers, 18 cultists, 6 kidnappers, and 5 vandals.
According to him 22 human trafficking victims, 2 kidnapped victims were rescued while 19 firearms, 104 rounds of ammunition, 4 stolen vehicles were recovered
The police boss credited the successes to intelligence-led policing and community support, urging residents to remain vigilant.
“Our commitment remains unshaken. With continued collaboration, Akwa Ibom will remain safe,” he said.
Emergency hotlines were also released for citizens to report suspicious activities.