Police Neutralize Kidnapper, Arrest Three Others in Delta

The Delta State Police Command’s special anti-kidnapping operatives, deployed to the Ughelli area, have neutralized a suspected kidnapper during a gunfight and arrested three others, who are now in custody. The police recovered one AK 49 rifle from the suspects’ hideouts, and investigations are ongoing. This information was disclosed in a statement signed by the Delta State Command’s Public Relations Officer, SP Bright Edafe, which was made available to journalists in Warri on Saturday.

The statement revealed that the police team, acting on credible intelligence gathered over time and detailed technical intelligence, identified the kidnapping syndicate responsible for abducting a male victim on May 17, 2024, in the Adjakota area of Ughelli South LGA, Delta State. The victim was later murdered by the kidnappers.

On July 1, 2024, at around 12:00 PM, police operatives stormed the hideouts of the suspected kidnappers and arrested Ismaila Umaru (28) from Kekura village, Awe LGA of Nasarawa State, residing in Oghara town, Delta State. Umaru subsequently led the operatives to the arrest of two other gang members: Chede Mohammed (18) from Nasarawa State, residing in Agwara, Ughelli South LGA, and Mohammadu Sani (26) from Banbiru, Abuja, residing in Upper Agbarho, Ughelli North.

On July 5, at about 5:30 AM, acting on the suspects’ confessions, the police team searched the bush near Oviri-ogor for other gang members. The operatives encountered an attack, and during the ensuing gunfight, a suspect hiding in the bush sustained serious injuries and later died in the hospital.

NIGERIA NEWS 247 recalls that the Commissioner of Police, CP Olufemi Abaniwonda, upon assuming duty as the 22nd Police Commissioner in Delta State, addressed the frequent kidnappings in the Ughelli area. This led to a change in the security structure and the deployment of a new Divisional Police Officer to Ughelli Division. The CP also directed the deployment of a special operations team, led by ASP Julius Robinson, to eradicate kidnappers in the area. These proactive measures have yielded positive results, as evidenced by the recent successes of the special teams.