Akwa Ibom State Police Command has raided a criminal hideout suspected to be a shrine in Abak Local Government Area of the state and arrested five alleged to have been involved in armed robbery, cultism, and rape in the area.
The operatives recovered items including two coffins filled with women’s sanitary pads, pictures of people, and other fetish items.
The Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, in Akwa Ibom, DSP Timfon John, disclosed this in a press statement issued in Uyo on Tuesday.
John explained that the raid followed a formal complaint lodged on June 26, 2025, by a man (name withheld) that a group of armed individuals broke into his room at a guest house (name withheld) in Abak, robbing him of his belongings and raping his female guest.
John said the Commissioner of Police, CP Baba Mohammed Azare, therefore ordered operatives of the Command to initiate an investigation and arrest the perpetrators. She added that on July 30, 2025, at approximately 11:10 PM, detectives, following discreet investigations and intelligence, raided the criminals’ hideout, leading to the arrest of the suspects.
She mentioned the suspects to include: Richard Edet Udo, Hope Unibong Anitie, Joseph Ibongidi, Christian Joseph Johnny, and Joseph Joseph.
She said the Command is continuing its investigation to arrest other members of the gang.
The statement in part: “Acting on a firm directive from the Commissioner of Police, CP Baba Mohammed Azare, operatives of the Command initiated an investigation. On July 30, 2025, at approximately 11:10 PM, detectives raided the criminals’ hideout. Operatives recovered disturbing items from what appeared to be a shrine, including two coffins filled with women’s sanitary pads, pictures of people, and other fetish items.”
