Operatives of the Akwa Ibom State Police Command (AISPC), working alongside marine hunters, have apprehended a suspected militant, Samuel Geofrey (aged 27), alleged to be a sea-piracy and kidnap specialist operating in Ibaka in the Mbo Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State. The arrest, made on 3 November 2025 at about 11:45 am, was disclosed in a press briefing by the state Commissioner of Police, Baba Azare, in Uyo.

According to the CP, Geofrey — a native of Atakpere community in Ekeremo LGA of Bayelsa State — confessed to being “an active militant involved in sea piracy and kidnapping.” He further revealed that his rifle was kept by a traditional ruler (name withheld) who is also believed to be his collaborator. While the police stormed the monarch’s makeshift residence and searched it, the traditional ruler fled before arrest.
During the raid, operatives recovered a significant haul of equipment allegedly used in sea-piracy operations: one 40HP, two 15HP, and one 8HP marine engines; four power heads; four gearboxes; four propellers; four engine covers; one Snow Sea deep freezer; three generators; brand-new toilet seats and sinks; a sewing machine; and a bag containing the personal effects (including ID card and NIN slip) of one Chibuike Vincent Awah of Onitsha, Anambra State.

Azare added that the suspect will soon be arraigned in court and confirmed that an intensified manhunt has been launched for the fleeing traditional ruler.
In a related development, the command also said that on 24 October 2025, its operatives raided an illegal gun-manufacturing factory in Ekriti Itam Village, Itu LGA, arresting two suspects and recovering fabricated locally-made guns and manufacturing tools — a signal of the broader arms-and-maritime-crime nexus in the region.

The arrest comes against a backdrop of escalating maritime-security threats in Nigeria’s coastal states, particularly in the Niger Delta and southeastern waterways. For instance, in June 2025 the Akwa Ibom Police Command announced the arrest of 54 criminal suspects and the foiling of a sea piracy attack along the Oron-Calabar waterways.

Earlier in September, 17 passengers were abducted by sea pirates along the Calabar waterways.

These incidents underscore how waterways that link communities across state borders have become vulnerable zones for piracy, kidnapping-for-ransom and arms proliferation.