The Abia State Police Command has arrested 31 suspects during coordinated raids on suspected criminal hideouts across the state as part of an intensified operation targeting illicit drug activities and other criminal offences.
The command disclosed the development in a statement issued on Monday by its 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 police explained that the operation followed a directive by the Commissioner of Police ordering strategic officers of the command to intensify raids on criminal hideouts and strengthen ongoing efforts to dismantle criminal networks operating within the state.
Chinaka stated that the renewed operation forms part of the command’s broader crime-fighting strategy aimed at denying criminals safe havens and restoring public confidence in security across Abia.
“In line with the directive of the Commissioner of Police, Abia State Command, CP Danladi Isa, to strategic Officers of the Command and following the ongoing Command’s clearance operational strategies and sustained raids on criminal hideouts across the State, the Command has intensified efforts to take the fight to criminal enclaves,” she said.
She explained that acting on credible intelligence, operatives attached to the Central Police Station in Umuahia, working in collaboration with local vigilante groups, carried out raids on identified criminal black spots within the Mission Hill and New Road axis, an area popularly referred to as “Down Below.”
According to the police, the location is a secluded valley extending into a nearby forest and has allegedly become a hideout for suspected criminals and drug dealers.
The operation was also extended to another notorious location in Amuzukwu, which security agencies identified as a centre for illicit drug activities and a refuge for suspected criminals.
“This location is an obscure area characterized by a deep valley stretching into the bush. Another criminal hideout at Amuzukwu, known for drug bunkering and a refuge for criminals, was also successfully raided,” the statement added.
The police said the raid led to the arrest of the 31 suspects, while quantities of substances suspected to be illicit drugs were recovered from the locations.
Although the command did not disclose the specific types or quantities of the suspected drugs recovered, it stated that the exhibits would form part of the ongoing prosecution.
The command further revealed that officers revisited the same locations on July 1, 2026, after receiving additional intelligence suggesting that criminal elements had resumed activities there.
During the follow-up operation, security operatives discovered several makeshift camps allegedly being used as operational bases by suspected criminals.
According to the statement, the camps consisted of temporary shelters constructed with baboon sticks and tarpaulin materials.
The police said eight of the makeshift camps were dismantled and set ablaze to prevent the locations from being reused as criminal hideouts.
“About eight (8) tents and camps constructed with baboon sticks and tarpaulin materials were destroyed and burnt to ashes to dislodge the criminal syndicates and disrupt their activities. All suspects have been charged to court and remanded at the correctional service,” the statement read.
Commissioner of Police Danladi Isa reiterated the command’s commitment to sustaining the offensive against criminal activities across Abia State.
He assured residents that the police would continue reviewing and strengthening operational strategies aimed at improving security and protecting lives and property.
Isa also appealed to members of the public to support law enforcement efforts by providing timely, accurate and credible information that could assist the police in identifying criminal hideouts and preventing crime.
He stressed that effective policing requires collaboration between security agencies and members of the public, urging residents to promptly report suspicious activities to the nearest police station.
