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Operatives of the Akwa Ibom State Police Command have arrested 54 suspects in different operations across the state.
The marine operatives of the command also repelled a sea piracy attack on fishermen along Oron-Calabar waterways.
The state Commissioner of Police, CP Baba Azare, who disclosed this while briefing newsmen to highlight major achievements by the command in Uyo on Thursday, said the breakthroughs were achieved between May and June 2025.
According to him, the marine operatives were conducting a search and rescue operation along the waterways on May 10, 2025, at about 12 pm when they received a tip-off about an ongoing sea pirate attack.
He said the operatives quickly mobilised to the scene and soon engaged the hoodlums in a gun battle, adding that upon sighting the gunboats, the suspects escaped into the shallow creek
He disclosed that the operatives stormed the creek and recovered a W23 speedboat fitted with a 200 HP Yamaha engine gearbox.
One 15HP Yamaha engine dismantled engine parts, one Dane gun, one improvised toolbox, one engine petrol generator, and one
OX standing fan.
Other items recovered from the suspects include one rubber container with materials suspected to charms; one white candle, one black wallet containing, one WAEC ID card, and others.
Azare said, “On 10th May, 2025 at about 1206hrs, operatives of the Marine Police, while conducting search and rescue operation along the Oron/Calabar waterways, received information from a reliable source about an ongoing sea pirate attack. Upon receiving the information, operatives of the marine swiftly mobilised to the scene.
“On sighting the Marine Police patrol boats, the hoodlums open fire sporadically. The police operatives returned fire, forcing the pirates, who sustained bullet wounds, to escape into a shallow creek.
”The police stormed the pirates’ camp, which was successfully raided, and the following items were recovered: a W23 speedboat fitted with a 200HP Yamaha engine gearbox, one 15HP Yamaha engine dismantled engine parts, one dane gun, one improvised tools box and a host of others
The commissioner said that during the period under review, the command also recorded other milestones, including the arrest of suspected cultists and recovery of firearms, the arrest of suspected cultists/unlawful possession of firearms, the arrest of suspected armed robbers, and the recovery of firearms.
Other major breakthroughs, according to the commissioner, include the arrest of suspected burglary syndicate/cultists and the foiling of pipeline vandalism and recovery of tools.
He said, “On the 9th of May, 2025 at about 05:05hrs, operatives of the Command responding to a distress call reporting the presence of a suspected pipeline vandal at Ikot Oboron, the police swiftly dispatched to the location, intercepted and arrested one Ekwere Obiowo Ernest, a 36-year-old male, native of Ukam in Edemeya clan, in the act of vandalising oil pipelines.”
He listed the items recovered from the pipe vandals to include one fireman, FGP 088EG Generator, one filing iron, various types of spanners, and a Siemens Germany tool box, among others.
