The Akwa Ibom State Police Command has recorded a major victory in its ongoing war against crime, arresting a notorious tricycle robbery syndicate that has been terrorizing residents of Uyo and its environs.
Commissioner of Police, CP Baba Mohammed Azare, disclosed this during a press briefing at the Command Headquarters, Uyo, on Friday, October 17, 2025.
According to him, the breakthrough followed a petition from one Mr. Aniekan Dan, who reported that he and his wife were robbed on July 3, 2025, by three men posing as passengers and a tricycle rider along the UniUyo Permanent Site Roundabout.
The suspects carted away valuable items including iPhone 12 Pro Max, iPhone 16, Samsung S22, ₦28,200 cash, and a handbag containing personal belongings. The couple was later thrown out of the moving tricycle but managed to identify its MOT number — a clue that led detectives to the gang’s hideout.
Through intelligence-led operations, police arrested the tricycle rider, one Editi, 34, whose confession led to the capture of four other members of the gang — Musa Idris Sanni, 31; Utibe Asuquo Nkop, 34; Dadati John, 46; and Abdulrashid Sanni, 28.
Recovered exhibits include three tricycles and seventy-two assorted mobile phones, suspected to have been stolen from multiple victims. CP Azare urged members of the public who have lost their phones to visit the Uyo Area Command with proof of ownership for identification and collection.
In a related operation on October 13, 2025, police operatives intercepted another tricycle along Nasarawa Road, Uyo, carrying five men and a large cache of brand-new household appliances, including fans, microwaves, decoders, stabilizers, and electric irons.
The suspects — Muhammed Saifuana (32), Musa Abdulahi (27), Samaila Sauwanu (21), Mubansir Abubakar (20), and Adamu Umar (25) — are currently under investigation to determine the source of the goods and identify other accomplices.
CP Azare reaffirmed the Command’s resolve to make Akwa Ibom unsafe for criminals, stressing that “no hiding place will be left for tricycle robbers or any criminal syndicate operating in the state.”
He commended the professionalism of his officers and the vigilance of citizens, adding that all suspects will be charged to court upon completion of investigations.
“The Akwa Ibom State Police Command under my watch will not relent until our people can sleep with their two eyes closed,” CP Azare vowed.
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