275 Criminal Suspects including Grandma Arrested by Police in A’Ibom

The Akwa Ibom State Police Command on Tuesday revealed that 275 criminal suspects have been arrested for committing various crimes, including murder, armed robbery, kidnapping, rape, cultism among other crimes in the state.

The state Commissioner of Police, Mr. Adeyemi Ogunjemilusi, who disclosed this, said a grandmother, Ekaette Obot, who claimed to be 27 years old was among those arrested for stealing and selling of her granddaughter for N200, 000.

 He said most of the suspects had been charged to court while others are being investigated, stressing that the police command, had prosecuted 193 cases with 23 convictions secured.

According to him, 19 locally-made pistols; one pump action gun and one AK 47 rifle; one Toyota Camry saloon car with registration number CAL 584 NF; one Toyota Corolla vehicle with reg. no. AA 50 NRJ and a total of 52 pieces of ammunition had been recovered from the hoodlums.

In an interview, the grandmother, Obot, said she weeds for people for a fee, saying she sold the child to free her daughter, Blessing Okon, 18, of burden.

But the Police Commissioner said Obot, who is also pregnant, informed the police of her plan to sell the baby immediately she delivered.

Ogunjemilusi equally revealed that two kidnappers were killed during exchange of fire, and the victim, one Mrs. Comfort Joshua, rescued from kidnappers in the volatile Etim Ekpo Local Government Area.

“An 83-year old woman, Mrs. Comfort Joshua, was rescued from kidnappers den in Etim Ekpo Local Government Area on Thursday, July 19 and two of her abductors gunned down during exchange of fire with the police.

“We also rescued a two-year, four months old child, Miss Testimony Bassey, from her abductors in Abia State where six suspects were arrested in connection with her abduction.

“A four-year-old female child, Bright Monday, was also rescued from her abductors along Aka road by IBB Roundabouts in Uyo, and four suspects have been arrested,” he said.

According to the CP, three criminals specialising in vandalising and stealing of transformer armoured cables, solar panels and street lights were also arrested and their loots recovered from Ikot Abasi and Abak council areas.

The command, he said, was determined to sustain the tempo in crime fighting and protection of lives and property in the state, explaining that the police have increased visibility policing across the state to reduce the response time to distress calls.

Pointing out that community policing approach has attracted the police to the populace and created more confidence in the minds of Nigerians, the state police boss, Ogunjemilusi, lauded the people and state government for their support.

He also commended sister security agencies working with the state police command towards reducing the crime rate in the state.