Delta Police Kill Four Suspected Kidnappers, Arrest Cultists in String of Crackdowns
ASABA/Nigeria: The Delta State Police Command has gunned down four suspected kidnappers in a fierce shootout along the railway line in Agbarho, Ughelli North Local Government Area. The operation, executed by operatives of the CP Special Assignment Team, also led to the recovery of an AK-47 rifle with a loaded magazine.
Police spokesperson SP Edafe Bright, in a statement released on Monday, March 17, 2025, disclosed that the raid followed the arrest of a suspect attempting to procure ammunition for an AK-47 rifle. During interrogation, the suspect revealed the weapon’s location, prompting operatives to storm the hideout. The gang members, upon sighting the police, opened fire, triggering a gun battle that left four suspects fatally wounded. They were rushed to the General Hospital in Ughelli, where they were confirmed dead. Their corpses have been deposited at the morgue, while efforts to track down fleeing members of the syndicate continue.
In another operation on March 12, police apprehended a suspected kidnapper, Abdulahi Isah, in Ibusa, Oshimili North Local Government Area. His arrest followed a tip-off from a resident who had earlier delivered a ransom payment and food supplies for a kidnapped victim’s release. Acting swiftly on the intelligence, the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of Ibusa Police Station, in collaboration with vigilantes, raided the suspect’s hideout, leading to his arrest. He remains in custody as investigations progress.
Meanwhile, security operatives, in a sting operation on March 13 in Warri South, arrested three suspected cultists. The police intercepted a tricycle occupied by Gideon Sunday, 34, and Godstime Solomon, 27. A search of the vehicle led to the discovery of a locally made cut-to-size gun with two live cartridges hidden in the engine compartment. Further intelligence led to the arrest of Junior Moses, 30, in Warri and Great Odiete, 28, in Sapele, where a fabricated Beretta pistol was recovered. The suspects, who confessed to being members of the Supreme Vikings Confraternity, remain in custody as investigations continue.
Delta State Commissioner of Police, CP Olufemi Abaniwonda, commended the swift response of the security operatives and the cooperation from residents, noting that criminal activities in the state are being significantly curtailed. He reiterated the command’s commitment to intensifying its crackdown on crime and urged the public to continue providing timely and credible information to the police.
