By Sunday Apah
The Delta State police have apprehended nine suspects involved in armed robbery and kidnapping across various locations in the state.
They successfully recovered cash, POS machines, live ammunition, and locally made firearms during these operations.
According to a statement from SP Bright Edafe, the Police Public Relations Officer for Delta State Command, several suspects were arrested on September 12, 2024, around 1:30 AM.
The Crack Squad attached to the Area Command in Ughelli acted on a tip-off to raid a brothel and suspected criminal hideout in Ewu Town, Ughelli South Local Government Area, where five individuals were taken into custody.
The arrested suspects have been identified as Dominic Uweru (48), alias Owolo, Isaac Oghenerukevwe (34), alias Plug, Oviri Godstime (25), Junior Sunday, and Efedeki Adjovo.
The police recovered one single-barrel gun, three locally made cut-to-size guns, a cash sum of four hundred and fifty thousand Naira (#450,000.00), one Moniepoint POS machine, one OPAY POS machine, and also seized wraps of substances suspected to be Indian hemp.
The suspects admitted involvement in various robbery and kidnapping operations, including the abduction of a 70-year-old woman (name withheld) on September 8, 2024, from whom they demanded a ransom of seven million nine hundred thousand Naira (#7,900,000) for her release on September 10, 2024.
In another operation on September 5, 2024, at 1:30 PM, the Anti-crime Patrol Team of Aboh Division conducted a stop-and-search in Aboh Town, where they intercepted a motorcycle carrying two occupants with a suspicious bag.
During the search, one suspect fled the scene, while the other, Anthony Godday, was apprehended. Officers recovered nine hundred and thirty rounds of live 7.62mm ammunition from the bag.
Additionally, acting on credible intelligence, officers from the Agbarho Police Station raided the residence of Ovoke Enaike (43), an indigene of Oviorie, Ethiope East Local Government Area, who resides in Ehwerhe Village, Agbarho. While searching Enaike’s motorcycle, they discovered a nylon bag containing a locally fabricated gun, one live cartridge, and thirty-eight rounds of AK-47 ammunition hidden under the seat.
The suspect is now in police custody, and efforts are underway to apprehend additional gang members and recover more firearms.
In a similar operation, on September 9, 2024, at approximately 5:45 PM, police operatives led by CP Monitoring Commander SP Inyere Elias Chinedu responded to credible intelligence regarding suspicious activities at KM 9 along the Asaba/Benin Expressway.
There, they arrested two male suspects: Olisa Emenoha (26) from Ifete Awka and Iteke Uchenna Wilson (26) from Road 21, Ngozika Estate, Awka, both of Anambra State.
The suspects were found in possession of a Toyota Corolla (REG NO: AWK 597 ND) and a Toyota Camry (REG NO: GDD 149 MA), which were suspected to be stolen and were in the process of being disposed.
Preliminary investigations indicate that the suspects are serial car thieves, with one of the vehicles reportedly snatched at gunpoint in Akwa Ibom State.
