Akwa Ibom State Police Command, in its continuous effort to rid the state of criminal elements, has recorded a significant breakthrough in hunting down a 419 syndicate involved in the swindling of N4.2m from a victim in Uyo.
In the crackdown, the operatives of the command on Tuesday, February 3, 2026, successfully tracked and arrested one Benjamin Patrick, male, of No. 29 Ebong Isong Street, Uyo, whose bank account and Point of Sale (POS) terminals were used to withdraw the stolen funds within a five-minute interval.
DSP Timfon John, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), on behalf of the Commissioner of Police, CP Baba Mohammed Azare, Mnipr, fsi, announced this in a statement in Uyo on Friday, February 6, 2026.
According to DSP John, sometime in November 2025, the command received a petition dated November 20, 2025.
In the petition, the complainant stated that on November 19, 2025, while standing along Uruan Street, Uyo, to board a commercial vehicle, a saloon car stopped and invited her to enter. Unknown to her, the occupants of the vehicle were members of a criminal syndicate.
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After driving for some distance, the suspects diverted to a different route, produced a firearm, and forcefully robbed her of her ATM card. She was subsequently compelled at gunpoint to disclose her ATM Personal Identification Number (PIN).
The suspects also allegedly invoked juju, hypnotised the victim, and forcefully escorted her to her residence, where they ransacked her home and robbed her of ₦900,000 in physical cash.
She said further investigation revealed that the syndicate also withdrew an additional ₦3,300,000 from the victim’s bank account through her ATM card, transferring the funds into different bank accounts, bringing the total loss to ₦4.2 million.
“Upon receipt of the report, operatives of the Command immediately swung into action. Following diligent intelligence gathering, the Police on 3rd February 2026 arrested one Benjamin Patrick, male, of No. 29 Ebong Isong Street, Uyo, whose bank account and Point of Sale (POS) terminals were used to withdraw the stolen funds within a five-minute interval.
“The victim positively identified the suspect as one of the individuals who conveyed her in the vehicle where she was robbed of her ATM card. The suspect is currently in custody.
“In the course of investigation, three (3) POS machines used in the illegal withdrawal of the funds were recovered. Investigation is ongoing to uncover the full network, recover the stolen funds, and arrest other members of the syndicate,” she said.
DSP John said the State Police Command assures the public that it will leave no stone unturned in ensuring that all perpetrators involved in such heinous crimes are brought to justice.
“The Command also uses this medium to warn criminal elements that Akwa Ibom State is not a haven for crime and urges members of the public to remain vigilant, avoid boarding suspicious vehicles, and promptly report suspicious activities to the Police,” she added.
