Operatives of the CP Special Assignment Team of the Delta State Police Command have dismantled a criminal hideout linked to suspected kidnappers and armed robbers responsible for terrorizing residents in the Abraka, Obiaruku, and Umutu areas of the state.
This was revealed in a statement issued by the Command’s Public Relations Officer, SP Bright Edafe, and made available to journalists in Warri on Friday.
The breakthrough followed an intelligence-driven investigation stemming from the arrest of suspected kidnappers on January 30, 2025.
According to the statement, the operatives, led by ASP Julius Robinson, raided the hideout of the gang leader, identified only as Emeka, at Evwokenren Layout, off Ughelli Road, Agbarho, in Ughelli North Local Government Area. The operation took place on February 2, 2025, at approximately 4:35 p.m.
“During the raid, a fabricated semi-automatic Beretta pistol with four rounds of live ammunition, four locally made cut-to-size guns, 13 rounds of live cartridges, and a pair of military uniforms concealed in a black polythene bag were recovered,” the police spokesman affirmed.
The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) revealed that the suspect is currently in custody, while efforts are ongoing to apprehend other members of his gang.
In a separate incident on February 19, 2025, at approximately 4:00 p.m., operatives of Safer 025 of Safer Highway Patrol arrested three individuals during a stop-and-search operation on a commercial vehicle along the Agbor-Benin Expressway. The suspects were found in possession of three locally made long guns and charms.
The suspects, identified as Buhari Bala (28), Habibu Sale (25), Abdulwahab Musa (20), and Taisu Bala (20), claimed during interrogation that they were traveling from Zaria, Kaduna State, to a bush near Benin, known as the Igbogri community, for a hunting expedition. The suspects remain in custody as investigations continue.
In an earlier development on January 17, 2025, acting on a tip-off, the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of Agbarho Division, CSP Pius Eredei, led a team of operatives to the residence of one Eriga Enyuche, 40. A search of his one-room apartment uncovered a G-3 rifle and a pump-action gun concealed in the ceiling. The suspect is under investigation.
Meanwhile, the State Commissioner of Police, CP Olufemi Abaniwonda, reaffirmed the Command’s commitment to combating crime. He stated, “Delta State will remain a difficult terrain for criminals under my watch.”
He, therefore, urged members of the public to continue to make available to the Police Command useful, timely and credible information by reporting to the nearest police station or by calling the following Command Control Room numbers: 08036684974, 08114895600 and 08025666914.