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By Christopher Oji
Delta State Police Command has arrested 678 suspected criminals and recovered 150 firearms and 5,042 rounds of ammunition in the last 11 months.
These include 130 suspected robbers, 88 suspected kidnappers and 76 murder suspects. Others are 329 suspected cultists and 54 suspects arrested for rape and defilement offenses.
Delta State Commissioner of Police Olufemi Abaniwonda, who gave the breakdown yesterday during a press briefing on the achievements of the command, stated that a total of 150 firearms, which included 32 AK-47/AK-49 rifles, 27 Baretta pistols, 72 single-barrel locally made guns, and 19 pump-action guns were recovered, while a total of 5,042 rounds of ammunition/cartridges were confiscated within the period under review.
He said the command has recorded significant success in the fight against crime since he assumed duty as the 22nd commissioner of police in the state.
“The mandate given to me by the Inspector-General of Police Kayode Egbetokun is that the police in Delta State must perform at optimal level and ensure that Deltans sleep with their two eyes closed.
“The command has reasonably delivered on this mandate under my watch. I would like to reiterate the fact that 85 percent of suspects arrested within the period under review were largely males and mostly youths. This clearly shows that parenting the male child is in decline. Parents are, therefore, urged to look out for their male children as much as they do for their female children. They should pay attention to their company, peer groups and whereabouts. They are also advised to continue to talk to their children to shun all forms of cult-related activities, drug abuse and other vices.
“I also wish to state that the ban on tinted vehicles and the use of fireworks in Delta is still in force. This has become necessary to properly checkmate the activities of criminal elements that may want to take advantage of it. Deltans are advised to abide by these directives, as anyone found wanting would be arrested and prosecuted accordingly.
“I also assure members of the public of the command’s commitment in ensuring that we record a crime-free yuletide, while admonishing all residents to be law-abiding.
Deltans are urged to report any suspicious persons or movement within the environment either by reporting at the nearest police station or any of the following control room numbers: 08036684974, 08114895600 and 08025666914.”
Giving a breakdown of some of the arrests, the CP said, “On November 23, 2024, a native of Owa-Alero (names withheld) reported that his eight-year-old son, Progress, was missing and that the last they heard was that one of their customers, Destiny Lawrence, who usually came to their shop to patronize them, went away with him.
“On noticing his son was missing, he asked the said Destiny whether he saw his son, but he denied knowledge of the whereabouts of the boy. However, later that day, the corpse of his son was found in an uncompleted building and some of his body parts were missing.
“The suspect was arrested and, during interrogation, confessed that one native doctor, Jonah, from Otolokpo community, contracted him to look for a small boy for him for the sum N30,000.
“He then lured the child to where the native doctor was waiting; the native doctor took the boy to an uncompleted building and slit his throat. The suspect is in custody while a manhunt for the fleeing native doctor is ongoing.
“On December 4, 2024, a case of a missing 10-month-old child, Prevail Jonathan, was reported. While at the station alongside the mother of the child, the police received a call that a child was found floating on the Aviara community river. The child was brought to the station and it was discovered that it was the body of the missing child. During investigation, the mother of the child, Blessing Ibuku, confessed that she was the one who threw the baby into the river on November 31, 2024. According to the suspect, she threw the baby away because her friends and other girls were making fun of her that the child did not have a father. The suspect is in custody and investigation is ongoing.”
