By Joy Onu
The Abia State Police Command has intensified its crackdown on criminal hideouts across the state, arresting 31 suspects during coordinated raids on locations allegedly used for illicit drug activities and other criminal operations.
In a statement issued on Monday by the Police Public Relations Officer of the Abia State Command, DSP Maureen Chioma Chinaka, the command said the operation was carried out by operatives of the Central Police Station (CPS), Umuahia, in collaboration with community vigilantes. The team raided notorious criminal hideouts in the Mission Hill/New Road area of Umuahia, popularly known as “Down Below,” as well as another suspected criminal enclave at Amuzukwu.
The command said the operation was conducted on the directive of the Commissioner of Police, Danladi Isa, as part of ongoing clearance operations and sustained raids aimed at dismantling criminal enclaves and strengthening security across the state.
According to the statement, intelligence gathered before the operation led officers to the “Down Below” area, described as a secluded location with a deep valley stretching into the bush and allegedly serving as a haven for criminals. Another location in Amuzukwu, reportedly known for drug bunkering and providing refuge for suspected criminals, was also successfully raided.
During the operation, security operatives arrested 30 male suspects aged between 22 and 46 years and one female suspect. Various substances suspected to be illicit hard drugs were also recovered from the locations.
The command further disclosed that following sustained intelligence, operatives revisited the same areas on July 1, 2026, where they uncovered several makeshift camps allegedly used by criminal syndicates as hideouts and centres for concealing and selling illicit drugs.
About eight tents and camps constructed with baboon sticks and tarpaulin materials were dismantled and burnt to prevent the locations from being reused for criminal activities and to disrupt the operations of the criminal groups.
Police said all 31 suspects have been arraigned before a competent court and remanded in a correctional facility pending the determination of their cases.”
Commenting on the operation, Commissioner of Police Danladi Isa reaffirmed the command’s commitment to its constitutional responsibility of protecting lives and property, stressing that the police would continue to strengthen operational strategies to deny criminals safe havens anywhere in the state.
He said the command maintains zero tolerance for crime and criminality, adding that efforts to combat criminal activities would be sustained.
“The fight against crime will be taken directly to criminal enclaves. Abia State will remain unsafe for criminals, and we will continue to review and improve our operational strategies to ensure the safety of all residents,” the commissioner said.
Isa also urged residents to support security agencies by providing timely and credible information on suspicious activities, describing members of the public as critical partners in crime prevention. He encouraged citizens to report security concerns to the nearest police station or through the command’s emergency hotlines, assuring that public cooperation would strengthen the fight against crime across the state.
