By Peter Onyekachukwu 
By Peter Onyekachukwu
The Akwa Ibom State Police Command has dismantled two tricycle-based robbery gangs operating across Uyo metropolis, arresting nine suspects and recovering 72 stolen mobile phones alongside several brand-new household items.
Commissioner of Police, Baba Mohammed Azare, who disclosed this on Friday while briefing journalists in Uyo, said the operations were part of ongoing efforts to rid the state of rising street robberies involving commercial tricycles.
He said the first gang, comprising four suspects, specialised in robbing passengers at gunpoint, while the second group of five men was arrested with a tricycle loaded with assorted new goods suspected to have been stolen.
Azare stated that the first group was responsible for several violent attacks on commuters, including a couple recently dispossessed of cash and phones worth over ₦2 million.
“Through intelligence-led investigation, operatives arrested the tricycle rider, one Editi, aged 34, whose confession led to the apprehension of four other members of the gang both within and outside the state,” he said.
The CP explained that three tricycles and 72 assorted mobile phones were recovered, while victims have been advised to visit the Uyo Area Command with proof of ownership to claim their property.
He added that another team of officers intercepted a tricycle along Nasarawa Road, conveying five male occupants and a load of brand-new household items, including industrial fans, microwave ovens, electric kettles, stabilizers, and Startime decoders.
“The suspects could not provide a convincing explanation of how they came about the items and were immediately taken into custody,” he said.
Azare warned that the Command would not tolerate any form of criminality, urging residents to remain vigilant and assist the police with useful information to sustain the fight against crime.