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By Joe Obukata Ogbodu, Warri
Five suspected kidnappers who allegedly participated in the abduction of several passengers along the Warri–Sapele Road by Adeje Community in February have been arrested by operatives of the Delta State Police Command.
It was gathered that the incident, which occurred on February 1, culminated in the rescue of the remaining victims, the arrest of key members of the notorious syndicate, and the recovery of firearms.
Providing a graphic background of the incident, the Delta State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Bright Edafe, in a statement on Thursday, said the incident was reported on February 4, following the abduction of a group of travellers who were ambushed by armed hoodlums.
Police revealed that the assailants, armed with guns and other dangerous weapons, forcefully took the victims into the bush.
Two of the victims managed to escape and promptly raised the alarm, triggering a coordinated response involving the Police, the Nigerian Army, and local vigilantes.
The police disclosed that sustained pressure from the joint security team forced the kidnappers to abandon the remaining victims, who were subsequently rescued unhurt.
Edafe, in the statement, disclosed that acting swiftly on credible intelligence, operatives of the Orerokpe Division arrested one Dafiaga Timothy on the same day, February 4, while he was attempting to withdraw money using one of the victims’ ATM cards at a POS point in the Adeje Community.
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Subsequently, the DPO of the Orerokpe Division was directed to transfer the case to the CP-Special Assignment Team for discreet and further investigation.
The police image-maker said that following sustained interrogation and technically generated intelligence, on March 31, operatives arrested additional members of the syndicate, including Samuel Omonigho, 31, in the Kokori Community, Ethiope East Local Government Area, and Henry Christmas, 22, in the Adeje Community, Okpe Local Government Area.
He stated that further breakthroughs were recorded on 5 April, when operatives arrested two more members of the syndicate, namely Ovo Wilson Junior, also known as “Sheboy”, 24, in the Mereje Community, Okpe Local Government Area, and Emakpo Ubiaro Abel, 36, in the Ughwagba Community, Okpe Local Government Area.
Police investigation revealed that Emakpo Ubiaro Abel is a tricycle rider who allegedly conveys the gang members to and from their operational locations.
According to the statement, on April 13, operatives of the CP-Special Assignment Team, acting on information obtained during interrogation, carried out a follow-up operation at a hideout located at Oka Junction, Agbarho. A thorough search led to the recovery of one fabricated Beretta pistol loaded with three rounds of live ammunition and one locally made gun with seven live cartridges.
The syndicate has been linked to a series of kidnapping and armed robbery incidents across Warri, Sapele, Agbarho, Ughelli, and adjoining areas, Edafe said in the statement.
The State Commissioner of Police, CP Yemi Oyeniyi, in his remarks, commended the synergy between security agencies and the vigilance of community members, which contributed to the success of the operations.
