Delta: Police dismantle kidnap syndicate, recover weapons

In a major security breakthrough, the Delta State Police Command has dismantled a notorious inter-state kidnap syndicate and recovered a cache of deadly weapons following a series of coordinated raids in multiple states.

On 16 May, operatives of the CP Special Assignment Team (CP-SAT) tracked and arrested 21-year-old Idirisu Yakubu in the Elelenwo area of Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

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Yakubu, a suspected member of a gang with operations spanning Delta, Rivers, Enugu, and Imo states, later led detectives to the arrest of the group’s alleged kingpin, Bello Amodu, 40, a resident of the same area.

Further investigations resulted in the capture of another suspect, Umar Mohammed Beto, 38, who reportedly heads the gang’s Enugu operations.

A follow-up operation on 17 May led officers to a bush along the Ughelli-Ozoro Road, where one AK-47 rifle with 23 rounds of live ammunition and a pump-action shotgun with seven cartridges were recovered.

Delta State Commissioner of Police, CP Olufemi Abaniwonda said, “This operation shows our zero tolerance for criminal networks that endanger lives across the region. We will continue to act decisively against all threats to public safety.”

In a separate incident, Eagle Net Surveillance operatives arrested a 53-year-old suspect, Benjamin Benemor, in Warri South LGA.

A raid on his residence uncovered a stockpile of weapons, including an English Beretta pistol, multiple barrel guns—both locally made and foreign—and 15 live cartridges, along with a battle axe.

Meanwhile, on 15 May, Rapid Response Squad officers apprehended two men during a stop-and-search operation along the Asaba-Benin Expressway.

A fabricated Beretta pistol was recovered from one of the suspects, identified as 27-year-old Okpako Oghenhovo.

Commending the teams involved, CP Abaniwonda urged residents to remain vigilant and to report suspicious activities.

“These arrests are a result of community cooperation and our officers’ professionalism. Let us sustain this momentum together,” he said.

Investigations into all the cases are ongoing.

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