Police raid criminal hideout disguised as church, recover firearms

The police in Akwa Ibom State have arrested seven suspects and recovered firearms and other incriminating items during a raid on a facility allegedly used as a criminal hideout disguised as a church.

The operation was carried out in the early hours of Wednesday, 8 April, at Ndiya Mfia Community in Ikono Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom, following a credible intelligence indicating that suspected criminals were operating from the location under the cover of a religious centre.

Timfon John, the police spokesperson in Akwa Ibom, disclosed this in a statement. She said one of the suspects, Brain Ebeka, was identified as the “Preacher”.

Ms John, a deputy superintendent of police, later told PREMIUM TIMES that the facility is named “All Power Belong to Me”.

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Other arrested suspects are Kenneth Eziekiel, Dickson Ndueo, Abang Rowland, and three female suspects, including Esther Okon and Joy Okon.

Ms John said a search on the premises led to the recovery of two locally made double-barrel guns, five expended cartridges, four motorcycles, three large generators and 10 mobile phones.

Other items recovered include a police crest, four jungle boots, a peak cap, a saw blade, a spanner, several vehicle number plates, five machetes, a special forces vest, bottles containing suspected spiritual oil, and an enlarged photograph, for which an investigation is ongoing to identify the owner.

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According to the police, preliminary findings suggest that the facility was being used as a front for criminal activities, raising concerns about the misuse of religious platforms for unlawful purposes.

The statement said that the Commissioner of Police in Akwa Ibom, Baba Azare, has ordered a comprehensive investigation and directed efforts to apprehend a principal suspect who is at large.

The arrest comes three weeks after police raided an arms fabrication workshop and a drug-laced snack factory in Uyo, the Akwa Ibom capital.