Akwa Ibom State Commissioner of Police, Waheed Ayilara, is dead.

Ayilara, it was gathered, died in the early hours of Thursday at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, Ikeja.

According to a family source, he underwent prostate cancer surgery on Wednesday before he died hours later.

“We are very sad to inform you that our friend, brother, and family, the Commissioner of Police for Akwa Ibom State, Waheed Ayilara, is dead,” the family was quoted as saying.

A top police officer in Akwa Ibom State, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to speak on the matter, also confirmed the CP’s death.

Efforts to confirm this from the Lagos State Police Command Public Relations Officer, Benjamin Hundeyin, were futile.

In November 2023, as a DCP, Ayilara was unveiled as the acting Commissioner of Police in Lagos.

Ayilara, a former Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of the State Criminal Investigation Department, took over from AIG Idowu Owohunwa.

The Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, deployed Ayilara to head Akwa Ibom State Command in February 2024.