Police Arrest suspected armed robbers, kidnappers in Delta

By Sola Omoniyi, Lagos

The Delta State police command has arrested six-man robbery and kidnapping suspects, terrorising the state and recovered guns and cartridges in various locations.

This was asserted in a statement by the command’s spokesman, DSP Bright Edafe to Congress newspaper on Sunday.

According to him, the Command is not resting in its fight to curb the activities of kidnappers and armed robbers in the state, adding that officers and men of the Command had keyed into the proactive policing of the 21st commissioner of police Delta State, CP Wale Abass who had since vowed that Residents must sleep with their two eyes close, and also ensured that the state is secured so that residents and investors can go about their lawful business(es) without fear.

Edafe stated, “The Command has recorded another breakthrough in the fight against crime and criminality, and they are highlighted below.”

He narrated, “On 15/5/2023, a victim (name withheld) of kidnapping/armed robbery reported at Ovwian Aladja Police station that was intercepted by some suspected kidnappers who abducted him and his wife and put them in the trunk of their car, drove them to an unknown destination, where they emptied his bank account through bank transfer before releasing them.

“The DPO discovered that a similar case was also reported on the 7th of April 2023 by another victim, and coincidentally, the modus operandi of the suspects is the same. The DPO Ovwian Aladja division CSP Aliyu Shaba, detailed detectives to carry out a discreet and intelligence-led investigation and ensure that these suspects are arrested and brought to book.

The statement reads, “On 20/5/2023, following a series of intelligence-led investigations, the detectives arrested a POS operator (name withheld) whose account these hoodlums always transfer money from their victim’s account. The POS operator who claimed ignorance of the antecedents of these suspects cooperated and availed the police with credible information that led to the arrest of the gang leader named Adim Lucky Onweiyali ‘m’ age 33yrs on 1st June 2023. The suspect led the police to the houses of other gang members and also to the house of one Akporido Stanley ‘m’ age 56yrs who hide the weapon for them. One locally made gun and three live cartridges were recovered. The suspects are in custody, and the investigation is ongoing.

“On 3/6/2023, while police operatives attached to Ekpan Police station were on stop-and-search duty, they intercepted a tricycle carrying four occupants. One of the passengers jumped and escaped, when the tricycle was searched, one locally made cut-to-size gun and four live cartridges were recovered. His other two accomplices, namely Ogheneovo Abdnego ‘m’ age 17yrs, and Chidi Okpanachi ‘m’ aged 31 years, were arrested, though they claimed the gun belong to their friend who escaped. The investigation is ongoing.

” On 2/6/2023, the DPO Ozoro police division received a distress call from a victim whose motorcycle was stolen some time ago that he sighted his motorcycle at a filling station in Ozoro. Operatives were quickly mobilized, and they arrested the duo of Chibuike Ochula ‘m’ aged 30yrs and Izuchi Uzochi ‘m’ aged 20yrs, and the motorcycle recovered. The suspects later led the police operatives to Kwale, where three other stolen motorcycles were recovered. Suspects are in custody, and investigation is ongoing.”

CP Abass commended officers and men of the command for their resoluteness in fighting crime, and he also encourages residents of the state to trust the police and report any suspicious happening around them.

He also stated that in the arrest of the six-man kidnapping syndicate by the Ovwian Aladja Division, the command was able to arrest them because their victims refused to chicken out and he commended the victims for trusting the police and taking the bold step to report the matter.