The Delta State Police Command has arrested 52 suspects, including 34 kidnappers, 12 cultists, 2 fraudsters, and 4 gunrunners, in a large-scale sting operation targeting the Warri, Sapele, and Ughelli areas. The operation, conducted between September and October 2024, led to the recovery of an arsenal of weapons, including seven AK-47 rifles, one AK-49, one G3, six pump-action shotguns, nine locally made guns, and 53 rounds of ammunition. Additionally, the police recovered N5.5 million from suspected kidnappers and rescued three kidnapped victims.
During a press briefing at Ughelli, the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Bright Edafe, attributed the breakthrough to the strategic deployment of personnel, proactive intelligence gathering, and effective collaboration with Divisional Police Officers (DPOs) under the leadership of Police Commissioner Olufemi Abaniwonda.
Edafe noted that since CP Abaniwonda assumed office on February 1, 2024, he has aggressively tackled kidnapping and armed robbery, particularly in the Ughelli, Warri, and Sapele regions. “The CP deployed a special team headed by ASP Julius Robinson, with a clear mandate to partner with local DPOs and restore peace in these areas. This masterstroke has paid off, as seen in today’s results,” Edafe said.
Providing details of the arrests, Edafe explained that a kidnapping syndicate, comprising Bakpor Isaiah (34), Victor (31), Ogheneochukwu Emmanuel (47), and Godspower Clifford (19), was apprehended on September 12, 2024, during a sting operation in Sapele. The group, linked to the Viking Confraternity, was responsible for multiple kidnappings and armed robberies along the Warri-Sapele Road. Among the items recovered were an AK-47 rifle and a Toyota Sienna used as their operational vehicle.
Other notable arrests included Oghenetega (33), also a member of the Viking Confraternity, who was apprehended on September 17 in Sapele. A search of his residence revealed an AK-47 rifle, a G3 rifle, and a homemade long gun. Similarly, on September 25, police arrested murder suspect Ojoko Ijoyoto, alias Pikolo (29), in Mosogar. A search of his home led to the discovery of an AK-47 rifle and ammunition. Ijoyoto had been on the police watchlist for three years for his involvement in the murders of the vice youth chairman of Mosogar town and a policeman.
On October 5, suspected cultist and armed robber Tunde Akingbenomo (32) was arrested in Ethiope East LGA, where police recovered a locally made gun and two automatic Beretta pistols. In another operation, suspected kidnapper and fraudster Timothy Ochuko (42) was apprehended after an intelligence-led investigation tied him to a kidnapping case. Police recovered N500,000 from his account, part of a N1.1 million ransom collected from a victim in Ughelli.
Edafe also revealed that a police team raided a suspected kidnappers’ hideout in Ogor Forest on September 18, engaging the suspects in a gunfight. Two suspects were fatally wounded, and police recovered a pump-action shotgun, a cut-to-size gun, and live cartridges. A manhunt is ongoing to apprehend fleeing suspects from the various operations.
The Delta State Police Command continues to intensify efforts to rid the state of criminal activities and ensure the safety of residents.
