Police raid criminal hideout disguised as church, recover firearms

Three women were among the seven suspects arrested at the facility, according to the police.

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”.

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.

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.