Delta State Police Command Strikes Major Blow Against Kidnapping and Cultism
ASABA/Nigeria: In a decisive move to curb the escalating threat of kidnapping, armed robbery, and other criminal activities in Delta State, Commissioner of Police Olufemi Abaniwonda has instructed all Divisional Police Officers (DPOs) to intensify policing efforts across their respective areas. This directive was contained in a statement issued by the State Police Command and signed by the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Bright Edafe.
Commissioner Abaniwonda urged DPOs to embrace community-based policing while prioritizing visibility patrols and proactive measures under his leadership. The impact of these directives has already been felt, with the command recording significant successes in the ongoing battle against crime.
The statement highlighted an operation on August 13, 2024, where the DPO of Oghara Division, CSP Olasunkanmi Musiliu, received credible intelligence that suspected kidnappers were planning to abduct guests attending a graduation ceremony at Delta State Polytechnic, Oghara. Acting on this information, CSP Musiliu swiftly mobilized his team and led them to a hideout in a bush along Otefe/Ovade Legit Road. The suspected kidnappers, upon spotting the police, fled, sustaining gunshot injuries during a brief exchange of fire.
The police recovered one AK-47 rifle, a magazine, one English pump-action gun, and a locally made cut-to-size gun from the scene. A manhunt for the fleeing suspects is currently underway.
The statement also detailed another successful operation on August 14, 2024, at approximately 7:45 p.m. The anti-crime patrol team of the Oghara Division, during a stop-and-search operation along Otefe Ijomi Community Road, intercepted a motorcycle carrying two young men: Ovoke Benedict, a 22-year-old computer science student at Delta State Polytechnic, Oghara, and Fredrick Urhoborume, a 23-year-old business administration student at the same polytechnic, both natives of Ughelli North LGA. A search of the suspects revealed a locally made cut-to-size gun with six live cartridges. Preliminary investigations suggest that the suspects are members of the Arrow Barger Confraternity, with further investigations ongoing.
Commissioner Abaniwonda expressed his gratitude to the people of Delta State for their cooperation and urged them to continue providing the police with credible and timely information. He stressed that public assistance is essential in the ongoing fight against crime, encouraging residents to report any suspicious activities to the nearest police station or through the command’s control room numbers.
