The Akwa Ibom State Police Command has announced the arrest of 54 suspects during various security operations across the state.
The command also disclosed that its marine unit successfully repelled a sea piracy attack targeting fishermen along the Oron-Calabar waterways.
Commissioner of Police, Baba Azare, revealed these developments on Thursday while addressing journalists in Uyo. He stated that the arrests and interventions occurred between May and June 2025.
According to Azare, marine operatives were on a search and rescue mission on May 10, 2025, around 12:00 p.m. when they received a tip-off about an ongoing pirate attack.
“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,” he said.
He added that on arriving at the location, the officers came under fire from the pirates.
“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,” he narrated.
The police stormed the area and recovered several items, including a W23 speedboat fitted with a 200HP Yamaha engine gearbox, a dismantled 15HP Yamaha engine, a dane gun, an improvised toolbox, an engine petrol generator, and an OX standing fan.
Other recovered items included a rubber container suspected to contain charms, a white candle, a black wallet, a WAEC ID card, and other personal effects.
CP Azare also highlighted further achievements recorded during the review period. These include the arrest of suspected cultists, armed robbers, and individuals in unlawful possession of firearms, as well as the recovery of weapons and disruption of criminal syndicates.
One such operation took place on May 9, 2025.
“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,” the commissioner stated.
Recovered items from the scene included a Fireman FGP 088EG generator, a filing iron, multiple types of spanners, and a Siemens Germany toolbox, among other tools used for pipeline tampering.
The commissioner reaffirmed the command’s commitment to ridding the state of criminal elements and ensuring the safety of residents both on land and waterways.
