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From Joe Obukata Ogbodu, Warri
Operatives of the CP-Special Assignment Team (CP-SAT) of the Delta State Police Command have arrested 52-year-old Miracle Umukoro, among two other suspected cultists, with one pump-action gun, six live cartridges, and a Toyota Sienna car reportedly used for their operations.
The suspects, identified as : Miracle Umukoro, 52, Mudiaga Ukavwe, 31, Solomon Oghoro a.k.a. Spartan, 30, were apprehended by the team led by the Commander, ASP Julius Robinson, within Sapele and Oghara, Ethiope West local government of the state.
Delta State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Edafe Bright, who confirmed this in a statement in Warri yesterday, said that acting on credible intelligence regarding the activities of a violent cult group, the operatives stormed the suspects’ locations at about 0530 hrs on 24th November 2025.
He said that the suspects, who confessed to being members of the Aye Confraternity, were arrested with several exhibits:
The recovered items include: “One pump-action gun, six live cartridges, one cutlass, one Toyota Sienna vehicle,with registration number: LSR 621 JW, allegedly used by the syndicate for surveillance and operational logistics. All suspects are in custody.
“The recovered arms and the vehicle have been registered as exhibits as investigations continue to unmask other members of the cult network and dismantle their operational structure”.
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In a related development, “on 23rd November, 2025, at about 0630hrs, acting on a distress call regarding a robbery incident along the Asaba–Benin Expressway by Dustbin/Mango Tree area, the Commander, Eagle Net Special Squad, SP Danyaya Inusa, swiftly mobilised surveillance teams of the squad in a coordinated operation with operatives of the Nigerian Hunters and Forest Security Service, led by DSP Abu Joshua, to the reported scene.
“Upon arrival, the criminal gang ambushed the operatives with sporadic gunfire. The team, undeterred, responded with controlled precision, overpowering the assailants and forcing them into a disorganised retreat. A fierce chase ensued, which led to the arrest of the following suspects: Oghenemaro Martins, 25 , Tarebi Miracle Ogbada, 22 and Okorie James Kalu, 19 .
“During the chase, the fleeing suspects abandoned a black bag, which operatives recovered. The contents of the bag directly linked the suspects to the robbery scene and their wider criminal operations. Recovered items include: One English-made Beretta pistol, One locally made pistol, four live 9mm Beretta ammunition, One HP laptop, One iPhone S, One Tecno phone, One Samsung phone, One PS5 game console, two necklaces and one laptop charger
The presence of the firearms and ammunition confirms the gang’s readiness for armed confrontation, while the assorted electronics, jewellery, and PS5 console matched descriptions earlier provided by multiple victims robbed at gunpoint around the Okpanam–Asaba axis. Subsequently, the chain of identification has established a direct nexus between the recovered items, the arrested suspects, and the series of armed robberies under investigation. The suspects remain in custody as the investigation continues.
In his remarks, the Commissioner of Police( CP), Olufemi Abaniwonda, commended the operatives for their resilience, courage, and tactical precision in both operations.
He reiterated the Command’s zero tolerance for armed robbery, kidnapping, cultism, and any form of violent crime, assuring residents that the police would remain unrelenting in delivering a safe and secure Delta State.
The CP further urged the public to remain security-conscious and report suspicious movements or persons to the nearest police station.
