Police arrest suspected armed robber, recover locally made firearm

The Nigeria Police Force in Akwa Ibom State has apprehended a suspect believed to be involved in armed robbery and recovered a locally made firearm in the state capital, Uyo. The arrest followed a distress call received late Saturday night from a resident reporting ongoing criminal activity in the Ikot Okubo Village area.

According to police spokesperson Timfon John, operatives on patrol responded swiftly to the alert. Upon reaching the scene, officers collaborated with local youths to secure and search the area. This joint effort led to the apprehension of the suspect, identified as Edidiong Udoeyen, from whom a medium-sized, locally fabricated firearm was seized.

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The arrested suspect is currently in police custody and will be subjected to a thorough investigation to establish his level of involvement in the alleged criminal activities, as well as identify and dismantle the criminal network.

While the suspect is now in custody for a thorough investigation into his alleged involvement and potential criminal network, other members of the gang reportedly fled upon the police's arrival. A manhunt has been initiated to track down the absconded individuals.

Commissioner of Police Baba Azare commended the community members for their timely information, which proved crucial to the operation's success. He encouraged the public to maintain this cooperation by providing credible and timely intelligence, assuring them of confidentiality. This incident follows a previous report of the Akwa Ibom police arresting three armed robbery suspects in Uyo earlier this month.

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The police commissioner urged members of the public to continue providing credible and timely information to the police, assuring them that such information would be treated confidentially.