By Solomon OKPO
The Akwa Ibom State Police Command has arrested a three-man armed robbery syndicate believed to be behind a string of early morning robberies across Uyo metropolis.
In a press statement issued on Tuesday, August 19, 2025, the Command’s Public Relations Officer, DSP Timfon John, disclosed that the arrests followed a discreet investigation and intelligence-led operation by police operatives.
According to the police, the breakthrough came after a 32-year-old woman reported that she was attacked around 7:00 a.m. on August 12, while on a morning walk along Believers Assembly Road by Udo Udoma Avenue. She recounted how two armed men on a black motorcycle pointed a locally-made pistol at her, threatened her life, and dispossessed her of an iPhone 12 Pro worth N650,000.
Further investigation linked the suspects to at least five other robberies carried out on the same day.
The police later arrested one Ubong Michael Patrick, 27, from Ikpa Ibiono in Ibiono Ibom Local Government Area, who confessed to the crime and led operatives to the arrest of two other gang members: Ibrahim Kanu, 20, from Adamawa State, and Nazipi Dahiru, 25, from Gombe State. Both suspects reside in the Nassarawa community, Itu LGA.
Items recovered from the gang include:
One black operational motorcycle
One locally-made pistol
One long dagger knife
Preliminary findings revealed that stolen phones were usually packaged and transported to Kano State, where they were sold to unsuspecting buyers. Efforts are ongoing to trace and recover the stolen property.
Reassuring residents of the Command’s commitment to public safety, DSP Timfon John urged members of the public to remain vigilant and promptly report suspicious activities to security agencies.
