By Sunday Apah
The police in Delta State have rescued five members of Elyon Paradise Ministry who were kidnapped last Saturday in Ogwashi-uku, Aniocha South Local Government Area of the state.
In a statement by the Delta State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Bright Edafe, it was explained that the unfortunate kidnapping incident occurred on 22/2/2025, when the five members of Elyon Paradise Ministry in Ogwashi-uku were taken while attending a night vigil service at the church.
The Commissioner of Police, Delta State, CP Olufemi Abaniwonda, took decisive action by deploying tactical teams to Ogwashi-uku, which included relocating operatives from the Special Anti-Kidnapping and Cyber-Crime Squad to the area, with a clear mandate to ensure that the kidnapped victims were rescued unharmed.
Consequently, on 25th February 2025, operatives of the Special Anti-Kidnapping and Cyber-Crime Squad, led by the Commander, CSP Labe Joseph, embarked on a sting operation alongside members of the Ubuluku community vigilante and other concerned indigenes of the Ubuluku community.
They stormed Ubuluku forest, where the victims were being held hostage.
Upon sighting the police, the kidnappers engaged in a fierce gun duel but could not withstand the superior firepower of the police. They took to their heels and abandoned the victims.
All five kidnapped members of Elyon Paradise Ministry were rescued unharmed and have since reunited with their families.
Exhibits recovered from the scene included thirteen rounds of expended cartridges and a bag containing the sum of one million three hundred thousand naira (N1,300,000), suspected to be ransom money.
