Posted by Chinenye on Tue 07th Jul, 2026 - tori.ng
A major police operation in Uyo has uncovered a suspected criminal base after officers moved in on a location linked to illegal activities.
(Nigeria Police. Photo by Leadership News)
Operatives of the Akwa Ibom State Police Command have arrested three suspected members of a notorious cult group in Uyo, the state capital.
In a coordinated intelligence-led operation, the arrests were made during a raid on a residential building off Abak Road, Uyo, identified as a hideout for cult-related activities and illicit drug abuse.
Three suspects were apprehended during the operation, and substances suspected to be Ice (Methamphetamine), cannabis, and other items linked to drug consumption were recovered from the location.
All three suspects reportedly admitted membership in the cult group, with one of them allegedly forcefully initiated into the group on July 5, 2026.
The suspects, said to be students of a certain polytechnic whose name has been withheld, are currently assisting the police with useful information aimed at helping apprehend other suspects who fled the scene.
In a separate operation, operatives of the command arrested a 32-year-old security guard employed by a private security company.
The arrest followed intelligence linking the suspect to a syndicate specialising in vandalising and stealing armoured electrical cables and other electrical installations from churches, residential buildings, factories, and government facilities.
A search conducted at the suspect's residence led to the recovery of cut-to-size armoured cables, bundles of vandalised electrical wires, pliers, an iron-cutting blade, a hammer, and other tools suspected to have been used in committing the offences.
During interrogation, the suspect reportedly confessed to vandalising and stealing electrical cables from a Catholic cathedral where he had previously been employed as a security guard.
Police investigations are ongoing to apprehend other members of the criminal syndicate still at large and to recover additional stolen property.
The Commissioner of Police for the Akwa Ibom State Command commended the professionalism, vigilance, and swift response of the operatives involved in both operations, reiterating that the command remains resolute in dismantling criminal networks, combating cultism and drug-related crimes, and safeguarding public infrastructure across the state.
The commissioner warned individuals involved in cultism, drug trafficking, vandalism, and other criminal activities to desist or face the full weight of the law, stressing that the command would continue deploying intelligence-driven policing strategies to identify, arrest, and prosecute offenders.
He further called on residents of Akwa Ibom State to remain vigilant and continue partnering with the police by providing timely and credible information.
The command assured the public that every useful piece of information shared would be treated with the utmost confidentiality and acted upon promptly to ensure a safer and more secure Akwa Ibom State.