Police Raid Notorious Mkpat Enin Hideout; Seize Automatic Rifle
UYO — The Akwa Ibom State Police Command has successfully neutralised a high-risk criminal cell in the Mkpat Enin local government area, apprehending two suspected armed robbers and recovering a cache of lethal weaponry. In a surgical operation concluded on Wednesday, February 18, 2026, tactical operatives acting on “reliable public intelligence” stormed a secluded hideout linked to a notorious robbery kingpin. Although the primary suspect managed to evade capture during the initial breach, his subordinates were apprehended following a brief but intense pursuit. Consequently, the Command has placed the fleeing leader on its high-priority wanted list, urging the public to report any sightings to prevent a potential regrouping of the gang.
The raid yielded significant results in the ongoing war against violent crime within the state. According to the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), DSP Timfon John, the recovered inventory includes one automatic pump-action rifle, a locally-fabricated shotgun, and four razor-sharp machetes. Furthermore, operatives discovered a substantial quantity of dried leaves suspected to be Indian hemp alongside other illicit pharmaceutical substances. While it is true that the kingpin remains at large, the suspects in custody are reportedly providing “useful information” regarding the gang’s network and previous operations. Indeed, this breakthrough follows a string of successful crackdowns that have recently seen 30 drug dealers detained across various flashpoints in Uyo.
The escape of the principal suspect highlights the persistent challenges of policing porous rural terrains. In a related development, the Commissioner of Police, CP Baba Azare, has directed an uncompromising manhunt to ensure the total dismantling of this specific criminal franchise. Significantly, the Mkpat Enin axis has long served as a strategic corridor for cross-border criminal movements into neighboring riverine communities. Granted, the Command has reinforced its maritime and land surveillance, but the “hybrid” nature of these gangs—merging drug peddling with armed robbery- requires a more holistic community-policing approach. Notably, this week’s success mirrors the neutralisation of the “Blin Blin Marine Strike Force” along the Uruan waterways just days ago.
Subsequently, the Police have called on traditional institutions and youth leaders to deepen their cooperation with security agencies. The PPRO emphasized that “credible and timely information” remains the most effective weapon against the asymmetric threats facing the state. Although the Command celebrates the recovery of the automatic rifle, the focus remains on the “market side” of crime, specifically the illicit drug networks that often fuel robbery incidents. Above all, the Commissioner has issued a “final warning” to drug barons and armed peddlers: either cease operations or vacate the territory. For residents of Mkpat Enin, this tactical victory offers a necessary, albeit cautious, sense of reprieve.
Finally, the suspects currently in custody will face formal arraignment upon the conclusion of comprehensive profiling. Therefore, the Police must now leverage the “useful information” obtained to preempt any retaliatory strikes from the remnants of the gang. As a result of this operation, Akwa Ibom continues to signal its zero-tolerance stance against those who threaten the social and economic fabric of the “Land of Promise.”