Operatives of the Akwa Ibom State Police Command have arrested the village head of Asik Ubofa, a fishing settlement in Effiat Clan, Mbo Local Government Area, after allegedly finding an AK-47 rifle in his possession.

The suspect, identified as 60-year-old Chief Edet, was picked up during a coordinated operation ordered by the Commissioner of Police, Baba Mohammed Azare, following intelligence that the traditional ruler was keeping an illegal firearm.

In a statement issued in Uyo, the command’s Public Relations Officer, DSP Timfon John, said detectives acted on “credible intelligence” that the village head was in possession of an assault rifle, prompting the police chief to deploy a team to verify the information and take action.

According to the statement, the operatives stormed the suspect’s location and conducted a search, during which they recovered one AK-47 rifle and two empty magazines. The operation was said to have been carried out without resistance, and the village head was arrested at the scene.

The police spokesperson explained that the suspect is currently in custody while investigators work to trace the origin of the weapon, establish his motives, and identify any possible accomplices. The command described the arrest as a “significant operational breakthrough” in its campaign against the proliferation of illegal arms in Akwa Ibom.

The statement added that the command remains committed to tracking and seizing unlawful weapons across the state, warning that anyone found in possession of such arms would face prosecution. It also urged residents to continue providing timely and credible information to security agencies, stressing that public cooperation is vital to tackling crime.

The development comes amid heightened concern over the circulation of illegal firearms and recurring violent clashes in parts of the country. Security analysts have repeatedly warned that the presence of sophisticated weapons in local communities, including remote settlements, increases the risk of communal violence, militancy, and other serious crimes.

The Akwa Ibom State Police Command reiterated that its ongoing operations target both criminal gangs and individuals who unlawfully hold firearms, regardless of their social status or position in the community. It encouraged those in possession of illegal weapons to surrender them voluntarily to avoid arrest and prosecution.