The Cross River State Police Command has arrested a 32-year-old man, Akan Constant, for allegedly threatening to kill his neighbour with a firearm. The incident happened in Alok Community, Ikom Local Government Area, during a disagreement.
Police said a community leader reported the matter on October 26, 2026. The suspect allegedly brought out the weapon during the dispute and fled with it when people confronted him. Officers from the Ikom Police Division then arrested him and recovered a locally made firearm and two live cartridges.
What Police Say and What Is Not Known (A Suspect Is a Person Accused but Not Yet Found Guilty)
Police spokesman ASP Sunday Eitokpah said the suspect is in custody and the gun and ammunition have been registered as exhibits. He said investigators are working to learn exactly what happened and to decide the next legal step.
No one was reported shot or injured. We do not know what the dispute was about, or whether the suspect has given his own account. He has not been charged in court, and he is entitled to a fair hearing. The police warned residents not to use violence, threats or intimidation to settle personal disagreements, and urged them to use lawful means.
Not the First Case This Autumn: Similar Gun Arrests in the Same State
The same command has made other arrests in recent weeks for locally made guns and threats. On October 2, police arrested a 30-year-old man, Daniel Jackson, after his father said he had threatened him with a firearm. Officers recovered a locally made gun and two live cartridges.
In Biase Local Government Area, police arrested a man after his fiancée reported repeated assaults and threats to her life. A search of his residence on October 19 allegedly found a locally made pistol and two live cartridges, and police said they were also checking claims of a link to a cult group. The pattern is clear. Homemade guns turn up in family and neighbourhood quarrels, not only in organised crime.
Why a Dispute Reaches for a Gun: Anger, Easy Access and Weak Settlement Routes (Locally Made Means Handmade by Local Craftsmen Without Licence)
Quarrels between neighbours are common. Most end with raised voices. A gun changes the outcome, because it can turn a moment of anger into a killing. A person who owns a weapon may feel tempted to use it when he feels insulted or cornered.
Access is part of the problem. Locally fabricated guns can be cheap and are often unlicensed. The national arms control centre has destroyed more than 16,000 weapons since it began, including 3,489 locally fabricated guns. It has also said some local guns closely resemble imported ones, which makes illegal production harder to spot.
A lack of trusted ways to settle disputes also matters. If people believe the police are slow or the courts are far away, some may try to solve problems with force. In this case, a community leader raised the alarm, which shows that local leaders still play a role.
What a Single Gun Costs: Fear in a Community and a Wider Arms Problem
Even a threat leaves lasting harm. A neighbour who has had a gun pointed at him may fear for his life and his family. A community may feel it cannot trust a man who lives nearby. If the suspect is convicted, his own family may lose his support too.
The problem is also national. The head of the arms control centre has said the spread of illicit small arms is a major driver of terrorism, banditry, kidnapping and communal clashes. Nigeria has no reliable count of guns, and one commentary notes that estimates range from about one million to between six and eight million firearms in civilian hands. The centre has also begun work on a new national survey.
Settling Quarrels Without Weapons: Community Leaders, Mediation and Gun Control
The first answer is early mediation. Village heads, church or mosque leaders and community groups can step in before a quarrel becomes dangerous, as the community leader did here. State governments can support local mediation centres and publish clear steps for reporting threats.
The second is stronger control of illegal arms. Police can continue to track makers and sellers of locally made guns, and residents can report them through official channels. The arms control centre can finish its survey and share the results, so policy rests on real numbers.
The third is a fast response to threats. Police in Ikom acted soon after the report, and that matters. Quick action sends a signal that threatening someone with a gun is a serious offence, even if no shot is fired.
A Threat Is Not a Harmless Quarrel: Our Reading of a Narrow Escape
We are glad that no one was hurt. The man who was threatened may have been lucky, and the community leader who raised the alarm did the right thing.
We do not decide the suspect’s guilt. He is entitled to a fair process, and the court must weigh the evidence. We also note that the dispute itself, whatever it was, could have been settled peacefully.
We urge residents everywhere to use elders, mediators and the police when quarrels grow heated, and never to reach for a weapon. We urge the authorities to keep tracking illegal guns. A neighbourhood is safer when disagreements end in talk, not in fear.
Published by Ejoh Caleb
