The Akwa Ibom State Police Command has arrested four suspects in Eket in connection with cultism and kidnapping activities in the state.
In a statement made available to the newsmen on Monday, the command’s Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), ASP Timfon John, said the arrests came in response to complaints from concerned residents.
According to John, the suspects were nabbed with a cache of weapons, including a pump action rifle, a short machine gun, a locally made revolver pistol, 11 rounds of 9mm ammunition, and four rounds of live cartridges.
The statement read in parts, “Sequel to the complaints received by the Command on an inter-confraternity clash between different cult groups ongoing in Eket and its environs.
“The Commissioner of Police, CP Waheed Ayilara, gave a matching order to the DPO Eket Division, SP Felix Ekpoudom for the perpetrators to be fished out and prosecuted.
“In compliance with these directives; on April 9 at about 4:45 pm, based on credible information at disposal operatives of Eket Division arrested the one Godwin Adam (aka) Nasarawa ‘m’ 35 of Idong Useme Village.
“Isaac Samuel Bassey ‘m’ 25 of Assang Usong Inyong, Emmanuel Hanson Isong ‘m’ 29 of Idung Uso Village, all of Eket Local Government Area.
“Suspects confessed to being members of Black Axe Confraternity and also suspected to be involved in the gruesome murder of one Kufre Usoro (aka) Promzy ‘m’ 32, said to be a member of Klanz Cult group, who was murdered on April 4,” John said.
The PPRO added that on April 25, another suspect, a ringleader terrorizing the Eket/Etinan/Ekparakwa Axis, was apprehended based on intelligence gathered by the command.