02/06/2026
AKWA IBOM STATE POLICE COMMAND CRACK DOWN ILLEGAL FI****MS MANUFACTURING NETWORK, RECOVER CACHE OF GUNS AND ARREST TWO SUSPECTS
The Akwa Ibom State Police Command has recorded another major operational breakthrough in its sustained campaign against the proliferation of illegal fi****ms and the activities of criminal elements across the State.
The success was achieved by operatives of the newly established Violent Crime Response Unit (VCRU), a strategic initiative of the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Olatunji Rilwan Disu PSC(+), NPM, designed to aggressively tackle the menace of violent crimes and other emerging security threats.
In line with the strategic directives of the Commissioner of Police, Akwa Ibom State Command, CP Baba Mohammed Azare, fsi, aimed at curbing the spread of small arms and light weapons, operatives of the Command, acting on credible intelligence, conducted a coordinated intelligence-led raid on identified locations suspected to be used for the local fabrication, servicing, and repair of fi****ms within the Okobo and Eket axis of the State.
The operation, which was carried out in the early hours of Tuesday, 2nd June, 2026, at about 0300hrs, yielded significant results. During the raid, the operatives recovered the following exhibits:
• Three (3) English-made double-barrel guns
• Two (2) English-made single-barrel guns
• Ten (10) locally fabricated single-barrel guns
• Four (4) iron barrels used in gun fabrication
• Two (2) gas cylinders
• Two (2) toolboxes containing various fabricated implements and tools used for the construction, servicing, and repair of fi****ms
• One (1) live cartridge
The recovered items strongly indicate the existence of an illegal fi****ms fabrication and maintenance network operating within the affected areas.
Following the operation, two suspects were arrested. They are:
1. Effiong Ekpenyong, male, 39 years.
2. Godwin Nduaesa, male, 78 years.
Preliminary investigations are ongoing to establish the full ext