By: Abdullahi Inuwa
— Drug baron nabbed in midnight-style intelligence raid as officers dismantle notorious bunker in Itu LGA
The Akwa Ibom State Police Command has delivered another heavy blow to criminal elements in the State under its ongoing “Operation Zero Black Spots”, smashing a notorious drug den in Ikot Ebom Itam, Itu Local Government Area, arresting a suspected drug baron, and recovering a cache of stolen community property.
In a precision intelligence-led operation described as swift and surgical, operatives stormed a well-known criminal enclave long suspected to be a hub for drug trafficking, vandalism, and the storage of stolen goods.
The suspect, Ofonime Etim, male, of Ikot Ebom Itam, was arrested at the scene as officers moved in on the hideout. What followed was a shocking discovery of illicit substances and a warehouse of suspected stolen property allegedly used to sustain a growing criminal economy in the area.
Recovered items include substances suspected to be Indian hemp, rolls of rizlers, machetes, axes, vandalized electrical cables, bundles of roofing sheets, aluminum windows, cartons of assorted provisions and beverages, sachets of illicit gin, a submersible water pump, as well as various electronic and household items believed to have been stolen from unsuspecting residents and public facilities.
A major breakthrough came when the Village Chairman (name withheld) positively identified the recovered submersible pump as belonging to the Ikot Ebom Itam Village Hall borehole project, earlier reported stolen. The suspect was reportedly confronted with the evidence and allegedly admitted involvement in the theft.
Preliminary investigations suggest the location functioned not only as a drug distribution point but also as a storage depot for stolen community assets, fueling insecurity and fear among residents.
The illicit structure was immediately demolished and dismantled by police operatives after the raid.
Residents of Ikot Ebom Itam have since applauded the Police Command for the operation, describing it as a long-awaited relief from the grip of criminal gangs that had operated with impunity.
The Commissioner of Police, Akwa Ibom State Command, CP Baba Mohammed Azare, fsi, reaffirmed the Command’s determination to sustain aggressive operations against drug traffickers, vandals, cultists, and receivers of stolen property across the State.
He declared that Akwa Ibom would remain “a no-go area for criminals,” stressing that Operation Zero Black Spots will continue to identify, dismantle, and wipe out all criminal hideouts across the State.
The Command confirmed that the suspect will be charged to court upon completion of investigations.
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