The Akwa Ibom State Police Command has recovered a stolen Toyota Hilux and arrested a suspected cultist in separate operations carried out in Uyo, the state capital.
The Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Timfon John, disclosed this in a statement issued on Monday, August 10, 2026, saying the operations formed part of the Command’s sustained efforts to tackle cultism, vehicle theft and other criminal activities across the state.
According to the statement, at about 3:00 p.m. on August 7, police operatives on routine patrol sighted two men in possession of a Toyota Hilux with a black bonnet and registration number NYA 399 AA.
The vehicle had reportedly been stolen on August 6 at Udo Eduok Street, off Aka Road, Uyo.
The suspects reportedly fled upon sighting the police and were pursued to a non-motorable road, where they abandoned the vehicle and escaped into a nearby bush.
The owner of the vehicle, identified as Mr. Reginald, was contacted and subsequently identified the recovered Hilux as his property.
The vehicle has since been recovered and is undergoing investigation, while police efforts are ongoing to apprehend the fleeing suspects.
In a separate operation at about 11:30 p.m. the same day, police operatives conducting stop-and-search along Abak Road, by the Federal Secretariat in Uyo, arrested a 21-year-old man, Emmanuel Emmanson, from Mkpat Enin Local Government Area.
Three live cartridges were reportedly recovered from him.
The police said preliminary investigation indicated that Emmanson allegedly confessed to being a member of the Black Axe Confraternity and claimed that the cartridges were intended for a cult initiation exercise in a bush.
The suspect remains in police custody as investigation continues, with efforts ongoing to identify and apprehend other alleged members of the group.
The Commissioner of Police, Akwa Ibom State Command, CP Mohammed Azare commended the operatives for their vigilance and professionalism, assuring residents that the Command would continue to deploy intelligence-led operations and proactive policing strategies to protect lives and property.
