UYO – The Akwa Ibom State Police Command has intensified its crackdown on criminal activities leading to the arrest of a suspected receiver of over 200 stolen mobile phones of different kinds, linked to an armed robbery syndicate.
The Police also disclosed the prosecution of a social media user accused of spreading false security information recently, and the commencement of a statewide enforcement exercise against vehicles with concealed or irregular registration numbers.
Commissioner of Police, CP Baba Mohammed Azare, made this known today (Wednesday) June 17, 2026 during a media briefing on the latest security breakthroughs at the Command Headquarters, Ikot Akpan Abia, Uyo.
He reiterated the Command’s commitment to sustaining intelligence-driven operations aimed at keeping Akwa Ibom safe adding that, the Command remained unwavering in its resolve to confront criminality in all its forms and ensure the state continues to rank among the safest states in the country.
According to him, operatives acting on credible intelligence in connection with a recent armed robbery operation along the Calabar-Itu Road corridor arrested one Musa Idris, described as a suspected receiver and distributor of stolen mobile phones linked to an armed robbery network.
He revealed that the suspect had previously been arrested in October 2025 for offences bordering on armed robbery and possession of more than 200 assorted Android phones suspected to be stolen.
Items recovered from the suspect included 34 assorted Android phones, two button phones, a standing fan, an 80,000mAh power bank, a rechargeable table fan, a tricycle with registration number AFG 64 WO, a jack knife, and substances suspected to be illicit drugs.
Azare said preliminary investigations indicated that, the recovered phones were suspected proceeds of armed robbery operations carried out by criminal gangs operating within and outside Akwa Ibom State.
He further disclosed that the suspect had provided useful information, exposing the existence of a broader criminal network allegedly involved in transporting and reselling stolen phones beyond Nigeria’s borders.
The Police Commissioner assured residents that efforts had been intensified to track down and apprehend other members of the syndicate currently at large.
In a separate development, the Command announced the successful conclusion of investigations into a case involving one Akaninyene Udo, popularly known online as “AK Philo”, over the alleged circulation of a false security threat messages in the state.
The suspect was accused of posting a message captioned, “Eket get ready for us,” alongside the image of an armed bandit, an action police said was capable of creating fear and public panic.
CP Azare said the suspect had been arraigned before a competent court and subsequently remanded in a correctional facility warning that the creation, publication and dissemination of false security alerts and misleading information remain criminal offences punishable under the law.
