Police Smash A’Ibom Rape Syndicate

Operatives of the Akwa Ibom State Police Command have arrested a three-man gang, which allegedly specialises in using tricycle to pick young women, hypnotised and rape them. It was learnt that the rape syndicate usually insert an object into their victims’ private parts, telling them they would die if they resisted being raped.

The state Commissioner of Police, Mr. Murtala Mani, stated this while speaking with journalists on Sunday in Uyo. Mani, who was represented by the state Police Public Relations Officer, Cordelia Nwawe, said the gang was arrested on June 11, 2016 through intelligence gathering.

The CP said the suspects, whose ages range from 21 to 27, were nabbed along Ifa Ikot Okpong Road within Uyo metropolis by the Special Anti-Robbery Squad and the State Criminal Investigation Department teams. He identified the suspects as Utibe Archibong, 21; Charles Effiong, 27, and James Etim, 24.

“We gathered series of complaints concerning tricycle operators engaging in crime in the state. Their mode of operation is that they go about with the tricycle pretending to be operators. “On the June 11, 2016, a three-man gang, who specialised in using tricycle to convey passengers and rape young women, was smashed.

“This three-man gang hypnotises women before they rape them, makes them confused by inserting something into their private parts. This crime is against humanity,” he said. The CP warned young girls, especially students, to be cautious of tricycle they board within Uyo metropolis, particularly at night.

Mani urged those who had fallen victim to the crime to report to the police, assuring that their identities would be protected. He said that the command also arrested three men suspected to be members of an illegal task force, who swindled a pastor’s father of N300,000. He said that the suspects were apprehended when they went to a bank with the man’s ATM card to withdraw money.

One of the suspects, Utibe Achibong, 21, said that they picked the girl along Ifa Ikot Okpong off Oron Road in Uyo, and collected N2,000, necklace, cell phone and wristwatch from her. “We took the girl into one uncompleted building along Ifa Ikot Okpong: we collected from the girl only N2,000 with some necklace, cell phone and wristwatch. “My friend that followed me carried the girl inside; I do not know if they raped her; I did not follow to rape her,” she claimed.