By Chioma Onuegbu, Uyo

The Akwa Ibom State Police Command has intercepted a Mercedes Benz C300 with a customized plate number FORBES JR, recovering a locally fabricated firearm and two live cartridges.

The Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Timfon John, disclosed this in a statement on Thursday in Uyo, stating that the vehicle was stopped during a routine stop-and-search operation in Ikot Ekpene Local Government Area.

“In a determined effort to rid Akwa Ibom State of illegal firearms and criminal elements, operatives of the Command intercepted a Mercedes Benz C300 with customized plate number FORBES JR, leading to the recovery of a locally fabricated firearm and two live cartridges,” she stated.

She further explained that the operation, conducted at the Control Post in Ikot Ekpene LGA, was part of the Command’s intensified strategy to curb crime and enhance public safety.

The vehicle was flagged down for a routine check and had three male occupants:

Nsisong Paul Okon, 27, native of Itak Village, Ikono LGA

Francis Forbes, 62, of Ikot Akpa Edok Ndiya Village, Ikono LGA

Prince Forbes, 27, of Ikot Akpa Edok Ndiya Village, Ikono LGA

Following the arrest, the Commissioner of Police, CP Baba M. Azare, ordered a full-scale investigation into the matter. The Akwa Ibom State Police Command reiterated its zero tolerance for illegal firearms and reaffirmed its commitment to ensuring the safety of lives and property across the state.