By; Patrick Titus, Uyo
Emmanuel Akamaba and Ezekiel Adie arrested by a Police patrol team in Akwa Ibom State for alleged illegal procurement and selling of arms, have confessed to the crime, saying they sell guns one hundred thousand naira (N100,000.00) each to their clients.
Parading them at the headquarters of the Police Command in Ikot Akpan-Abia, Uyo Wednesday, Commissioner of Police, Murtala Mani told journalists that Emmanuel aged 38 and Ezekiel, 35 both from Ogoja in Cross River state were arrested with four locally made pistols along Calabar/Itu Highway by Safer Highway Patrol team who carried out a search on the vehicle which the suspects traveled with.
CP Mani said stop and search exercise is one of the proactive measures taken by the Command to rid Akwa Ibom state of criminal elements.
In their confession to New Nigerian in Uyo, both Emmanuel and Ezekiel admitted to the crime saying, “When the Police stopped us at Check Point in Itu, and searched through the vehicle we boarded, they discovered the four pistols in our traveling bag. “We were going to sell the gun to our agent in Bayelsa at the cost of N100, 000.00 each. We bought the gun from a manufacturer in Benue state and we have been in the business for about a year now.”
Also paraded with Emmanuel and Ezekiel, were other suspects for their involvement in crimes and arrested by operatives of the Command at various locations in the state during stop and search exercise in the state.
The Commissioner who was represented by the Command Public Relations Officer (PPRO), ASP Cordelia Nwawe said that among the paraded suspects was one Blessing Effiong Ambrose arrested for human trafficking.
Blessing was allegedly arrested by the Patrol team stationed along Oron-Mbo Highway who intercepted a white colour Toyota Hiace commuter bus with registration number Lagos – JJJ454 XD in which she (Blessing) was travelling from Oron in Akwa Ibom state to Lagos state.
Among the passengers in the bus according to CP Mani, were six children aged between five and fifteen who were victims of child trafficking by Blessing who was taking them to buyers in Lagos state. The children were however rescued and handed over to the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department (SCIID) in Uyo for investigation.
