Police Nab Alleged Stolen Phone Kingpin, Recover Dozens of Devices

(Stolen phones. Photo Credit: Daily Post)

Officers of the Akwa Ibom State Police Command have re-arrested a suspected receiver and distributor of stolen mobile phones, identified as Musa Idris, recovering 34 assorted Android phones and two button phones believed to be linked to robbery activities within and outside the state.

This was disclosed by the Commissioner of Police, Baba Azare, while briefing journalists at the Command Headquarters, Ikot Akpan-Abia, Uyo, on Wednesday.

Azare also highlighted other notable achievements recorded by the command within the period, including enforcement of vehicle registration regulations and a crackdown on the spread of false security information.

He explained that the suspect was apprehended along the Calabar–Itu Road axis following credible intelligence, noting that investigations revealed he had previously been arrested in October 2025 in connection with armed rob#ery and the possession of over 200 assorted Android phones suspected to be stolen.

According to him, the phones recovered this time are strongly believed to be proceeds of armed rob#ery operations carried out by criminal elements operating both within and outside Akwa Ibom State.

He disclosed that operatives, acting on credible intelligence linked to a recent armed rob#ery incident along the Calabar–Itu Road axis, arrested Idris as a suspected receiver and distributor of stolen phones connected to an armed rob#ery syndicate, reiterating that the recovered items are reasonably suspected to be proceeds of criminal operations within and outside the state.

The CP further revealed that the suspect’s confessions pointed to the existence of a wider criminal network involved in moving and reselling stolen phones beyond Nigeria’s borders, adding that efforts had been intensified to track down other members of the syndicate still at large.

Speaking on the issue of false security information, Azare disclosed that investigations had been concluded in a case involving one Akaninyene Udo, popularly known online as “AK Philo,” who allegedly circulated a threatening message titled “Eket get ready for us” alongside an image of an armed individual.

He confirmed that the suspect had since been charged to court and remanded at a correctional centre, warning that the creation, publication, or spread of false security alerts and misleading information capable of inciting public panic remains a criminal offence that would attract prosecution under the law.

Azare also announced the launch of a statewide enforcement operation targeting vehicles with covered, altered, obscured, defaced, or missing registration plates, urging motorists to comply with existing regulations.

During the briefing, the Commissioner commended the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, for providing First Aid boxes to police commands nationwide, including Akwa Ibom State, describing the gesture as a reflection of the IGP’s commitment to the health, safety, welfare, and operational readiness of officers.

He also presented certificates of commendation to officers recognised for professionalism and dedication to duty, stressing that rewarding integrity and excellence remains central to motivating personnel and strengthening modern policing.