OPDS raids arms factories, arrests 5 in Delta

Troops attached to the Joint Task Force (JTF) codenamed Operation Delta Safe (OPDS) have arrested four suspects including a wanted oil bunkering kingpin during a raid of arms manufacturing factories in Delta.

The raids were conducted weekend on identified local arms manufacturing hideouts in Arhavwarien Kingdom of Ughelli South in Delta.

Commander of OPDS, in a statement made available to journalists in Warri on Monday, Rear Admiral Apochi Suleiman, described the operation as successful.

“During the operation, three principal suspects were apprehended following a shootout with the suspects. They are; Mr Isiyaka Uchuko, Mr Ese James and Mr Elvis Phillips,” he disclosed.

According to the army boss, items recovered from the suspects included 13 short barrel local made guns and five double barrel local made guns.

Others were 10 locally-made pistols, three live cartridges, one empty cartridge and two rounds of 7.62 millimeter special ammunition.

Suleiman added that in accordance with the mandate to protect oil and gas infrastructure, deter and prevent sea robbery, crude oil theft, militancy and other forms of criminalities in Niger Delta region, his troops also apprehended 50-year-old Mathew Okafor, in connection with the buying and selling of a well head belonging to an international oil company popularly known as “Xmas Tree” and other wellhead accessories.

His troops, he further stated, arrested a wanted oil bunkering kingpin, Mr Nkwe Godspower, who’s 42 years old.

According to Rear Admiral Suleiman, items recovered during his arrest included 10 cheque booklets of different banks, an international passport, five different identity cards and N1, 000,100.00 only.

Okafor and Godspower, he noted, are under already undergoing preliminary investigations.

He commended the general public and the press for supporting the troops in their effort to achieve their mandate.

The army boss also appealed to the public to provide timely information about criminal activities ongoing in their domains to troops in order to sanitise the region.