The Abia State Police Command has arrested 31 people during coordinated raids on suspected criminal hideouts across the state as part of its ongoing efforts to combat crime and drug-related activities.
The development was announced in a statement issued by the Police Public Relations Officer, Maureen Chinaka, on behalf of the Commissioner of Police, Danladi Isa.
According to the statement, those arrested include 30 men between the ages of 22 and 46, as well as one woman. The operation was carried out following the commissioner’s directive to intensify the crackdown on criminal hideouts across the state.
Police operatives attached to the Central Police Station in Umuahia, working alongside local vigilantes, acted on intelligence to raid identified black spots around the Mission Hill/New Road area, popularly known as “Down Below.”
The command also targeted another suspected criminal hideout in Amuzukwu, which authorities described as a location used for drug bunkering and sheltering suspected criminals.
During the operation, officers recovered substances suspected to be illicit drugs while taking the 31 suspects into custody.
Police further disclosed that operatives returned to the same locations on July 1, 2026, following fresh intelligence, where they discovered makeshift camps allegedly occupied by criminal groups.
Authorities said about eight tents and temporary camps constructed with baboon sticks and tarpaulins were dismantled and set ablaze to prevent the locations from being reused for criminal activities.
The command confirmed that all the suspects have been charged to court and remanded in a correctional facility pending further legal proceedings.
Commissioner of Police Danladi Isa reiterated the command’s determination to sustain operations against criminal elements, stating that security strategies would continue to be strengthened to safeguard lives and property across the state.
He also appealed to residents to support law enforcement agencies by providing credible and timely information that could help prevent crime and bring offenders to justice.
