Operatives of Delta State Police Command have shot dead, four suspected kidnappers in a gun battle in Jesse, Ethiope West Local Government Area of the state.
State Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Bright Edafe, confirmed this in a statement, saying the suspects died in a hospital they were taken to for treatment after they were overwhelmed by the superior firepower of the police officers.
The statement said: “Due to the reported incidences of kidnappings along Jesse axis of the state, on September 12, 2023, the state Commissioner of Police, Wale Abass, directed the deployment of operatives of the Special Anti-Kidnapping and Cyber Crime Squad, SAKCCS, and DOPS Bufallo team among others to the area.
“On September 18, 2023, during a joint patrol along Jesse-Igueleba in Edo State, the team encountered a gang of armed bandits, who laid wait in the bush to attack and kidnap unsuspecting motorists.
“The hoodlums who apparently sighted the police team, fired at the front tyre of the lead pickup van, thus demobilizing the vehicle. They were swiftly engaged in a gun duel by members of the police team.
“One AK47 rifle with 25 rounds of live ammunition were recovered. The wounded suspects were taken to the hospital where they were later certified dead.”
