The Delta State Police Command has rescued a 23-year-old kidnap victim and arrested eight suspects in separate operations across the state, recovering three firearms, 26 live cartridges and substances suspected to be Indian hemp.
The operations were carried out between October 20 and 23, 2026, according to the command’s spokesman, SP Bright Edafe, in a statement issued on Saturday.
Edafe said operatives of the Owa-Oyibu Division, working alongside local volunteer groups, rescued the victim on October 20, a day after he was abducted.
“On October 20, 2026, operatives of Owa-Oyibu Division, in collaboration with local volunteer groups, successfully rescued a 23-year-old man whom two suspected kidnappers abducted on October 19, 2026 at Owa-Alero,” the statement read in part.
“The victim was reportedly seized in front of his residence and dragged into a nearby bush,” it added.
The police explained that the rescue followed a complaint from the victim’s brother, prompting operatives to launch an intensive search of nearby bushes, where the victim was eventually found.
The command said efforts were ongoing to track down and arrest the fleeing abductors.
In a separate operation on October 23, operatives of the Violent Crime Response Unit raided a hotel in Abraka suspected of serving as a hideout for drug-related activities.
Six suspected cultists were arrested during the raid, while a bag containing a firearm and substances suspected to be Indian hemp was recovered. Other individuals reportedly fled upon sighting the operatives.
The police said investigations were underway to determine the origin and ownership of the recovered firearm and identify other individuals linked to the incident.
Meanwhile, on October 21, operatives of the Special Anti-Kidnapping Unit, Sector III, Ubuluku, searched the residence of a 62-year-old suspect, Richard Nmorsi, in Ekuku-Agbor, Ika South Local Government Area.
The search, conducted with a warrant, led to the recovery of a locally made single-barrel firearm, 24 live cartridges and weeds suspected to be Indian hemp.
Nmorsi was arrested, while the recovered items were taken into police custody for further investigation.
In another operation on October 23, the same unit raided the residence of a 56-year-old suspect, Amechi Osemeke, also in Ekuku-Agbor.
During the warrant-backed search, operatives recovered a functional double-barrel firearm and one live cartridge.
Osemeke was arrested, while investigations continued to establish the circumstances surrounding his possession of the weapon.
The Commissioner of Police in Delta State, CP Samuel Erale, assured residents that the command would continue its operations against criminal activities.
“The command would sustain intelligence-led operations aimed at dismantling criminal networks, recovering illegally possessed firearms and safeguarding communities across the state,” he said.
Eralе urged residents to “remain vigilant and provide credible information to the police”, assuring them that the command would spare no effort in protecting lives and property across the state.