RismadarVoice Reporters, June 10, 2026
The Akwa Ibom State Police Command has dismantled a notorious drug den in Ikot Ebom Itam, Itu Local Government Area, recovering suspected stolen property and arresting a suspected drug baron during an intelligence-led operation under its ongoing Operation Zero Black Spots initiative.
According to the Command, operatives raided the criminal hideout following credible intelligence linking the location to drug trafficking, vandalism, and the storage of stolen items.
During the operation, police arrested Ofonime Etim and recovered quantities of substances suspected to be Indian hemp, packets of rolling papers, axes, machetes, vandalised electrical cables, roofing sheets, aluminium windows, cartons of assorted provisions and beverages, illicit gin, a submersible water pump, and several electronic appliances believed to be stolen.
The Police disclosed that the Village Chairman of Ikot Ebom Itam identified the recovered submersible water pump as property stolen from the community’s village hall borehole facility. The suspect reportedly confessed to stealing the pump during interrogation.
Preliminary investigations revealed that the premises served as a major distribution point for illicit drugs and a storage facility for suspected stolen property. Police said efforts are ongoing to identify the owners of the recovered items, trace additional victims, and apprehend other members of the criminal network.
Following the operation, the drug den was demolished. Residents of the area reportedly commended the Police for dismantling what they described as a long-standing criminal enclave that had posed a threat to public safety.
Reacting to the development, the Commissioner of Police, Akwa Ibom State Command, CP Baba Mohammed Azare, reaffirmed the Command’s commitment to sustaining the crackdown on drug traffickers, cultists, vandals, and other criminal elements across the state.
He warned that Akwa Ibom would remain a hostile environment for criminals and assured residents that intelligence-driven operations would continue to identify and eliminate criminal hideouts and black spots throughout the state.
Police said the suspect would be charged to court upon the conclusion of investigations.
