Police arrest boat operator who ferries suspected kidnappers to creeks

The police in Akwa Ibom State have arrested two suspects linked to high-profile kidnappings in the state.

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In a statement forwarded to PREMIUM TIMES on Monday, the police spokesperson in the state, Timfon John, said the suspects were arrested around 1 a.m. on Friday.

Ms John, a deputy superintendent of police, identified the suspects as Victor Tom and Nelson Samuel from Esit Eket and Ibeno local government areas of the state, respectively.

“Mr Tom, who is popularly known by his two aliases ‘Igbo Man’ and ‘Mami,’ was identified by an earlier arrested suspect as the mastermind behind the failed kidnapping attempt. He has confessed to being part of the gang that recently kidnapped two top businessmen in Eket. He has been linked to several other kidnapping incidents within the Eket area,” Ms John said.

The second suspect, Mr Samuel, the police said, is a “boat operator who conveys the criminals and their victims to their creek.”

Crime rate in the state appears to be on the rise, despite breakthroughs recorded by the police.

The police had, in a statement on Sunday, said its operatives raided several suspected illicit drug black spots in the state capital, Uyo, on 18 August, with many arrests made.

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Ms John said the operation led to the arrest of four suspects: Gideon Edet, Paul Effiong, Mfon Ikpe, and Gideon Etim.

“A large quantity of suspected illicit drugs and substances suspected to be Indian hemp were recovered,” the police said.

Operatives of the command on Saturday arrested “a notorious vandal,” identified as God’stime James, 23, from Midim in Abak Local Government Area of the state.

The suspect, the police said, was wanted in connection with the vandalisation of school structures and private homes, and had earlier fled his community.

Vandal, kidnapping suspects dominate arrests

Suspected vandals have continued to dominate the list of arrests made by the police in the state, followed by suspected kidnappers and car thieves.

READ ALSO: Police speak on man allegedly confined for five years by his father

The police in the state last month arrested a suspected cultist and vandal, and recovered a human skull from him, this newspaper reported

Two weeks earlier, this newspaper reported that the police arrested suspected vandals and thieves in the state.

Two months ago, suspected vandals were arrested with several items, including copper and aluminium electricity cables.

Governor Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom State, in January, expressed concern about the spate of vandalism of public facilities in the state, particularly electricity transformers.

Mr Eno, who expressed displeasure over the menace in a meeting with the commissioner of police, said that besides the huge costs the government bears in replacing them, it also hinders rural development, a major focal point of his administration after agriculture.