Operatives of the Delta State Police Command, in a coordinated offensive with local vigilantes and anti-cult volunteers, have neutralised seven suspected kidnappers in two separate encounters, recovering firearms and live ammunition in the process.
According to a statement issued and signed by the Forced Police Relations Officer, ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, the first operation occurred on June 4, 2025, along the Abraka Railway axis.
Acting on credible intelligence regarding the activities of suspected kidnappers in the area, security operatives engaged the criminals in a fierce gun battle.
According to the statement, four of the suspects were fatally wounded during the exchange, and security agents recovered one AK-47 rifle and thirteen rounds of live ammunition.
In a separate operation, the Command’s CP-Special Assignment Team intercepted a suspicious shuttle bus along the Ughelli–Patani Road near Ewhereni Junction.
The occupants of the vehicle reportedly opened fire upon sighting the operatives, triggering a shootout that resulted in the deaths of three suspected kidnappers.
One AK-47 rifle, loaded with eighteen rounds of live ammunition, was recovered from the scene and preliminary investigations have identified the suspects as members of a notorious kidnapping syndicate operating in the region.
In another development, the Nigeria Police Force announced the arrest of five suspected members of an armed robbery syndicate believed to have been terrorising communities across the state.
The breakthrough came following the recovery of a Toyota Hilux stolen from the Federal Ministry of Finance in Abuja on May 28, 2025.
A suspect, Mohammed Kabir, from Samaru Gusau in Zamfara State, was apprehended after a high-speed chase near Zaria town.
Further investigations led to the recovery of a Toyota Camry abandoned near the Kaduna-Abuja Expressway.
Police also recovered a stolen Honda CR-V following the arrest of one Emmanuel Oliseh, who confessed to stealing the vehicle from Abuja.
In another operation, three suspects, Ibrahim Bala, Abdulsalam Abdullahi, and Abdulraman Muktar, were intercepted in possession of a Toyota Camry (1998 model), which they admitted was stolen from Nasarawa State.
Police authorities in both Delta and Kaduna States have reiterated their commitment to curbing criminal activities and restoring public safety through continuous intelligence-driven operations and inter-agency collaboration.
