BY BETTY IDIALU
WARRI – In an aggressive offensive against criminal syndicates, operatives of the Delta State Police Command’s Commissioner of Police Special Assignment Team (CP-SAT) have busted suspected kidnapping and ‘one-chance’ gangs terrorising parts of the state, recovering firearms, ammunition, and dozens of suspected stolen mobile phones.
The operation was triggered by Delta State Commissioner of Police, CP Olufemi Abaniwonda, following a spike in reported abductions and armed robberies in key commercial centres like Ughelli, Warri, Sapele, and surrounding towns.
CP Abaniwonda ordered the transfer of a high-profile kidnapping case from Isiokolo Police Station to CP-SAT for intensive investigation and immediate action.
SP Bright Edafe, spokesperson for the Delta State Police Command, disclosed that one of the suspects, Augustine Ojanuware, earlier apprehended by the police, confessed during interrogation to being a member of a gang involved in multiple kidnappings.
Based on his confession, CP-SAT operatives conducted raids on June 28, 2025, at criminal hideouts in Osubi and Ughelli, leading to the arrest of two additional suspects, Precious Urhobowin (27) and Julius Okpako (32).
Police recovered a locally fabricated single-barrel gun, eight live cartridges, and a Point-of-Sale (POS) machine used to collect ransoms from victims’ families.
Investigation revealed the gang’s involvement in the June 19 kidnapping of a female pharmacist from her Ughelli residence.
The victim was released after five days upon payment of an undisclosed ransom, and her Lexus SUV was later found abandoned near Isiokolo.
Additionally, the gang has been linked to an attempted abduction in Iyede, where the intended victim narrowly escaped, but their Toyota Corolla was stolen.
In a separate breakthrough, CP-SAT arrested three suspects linked to a ‘one-chance’ robbery gang that operated by pretending to offer transportation in a commercial tricycle before robbing passengers at gunpoint.
Following weeks of surveillance and multiple reports from victims, the police apprehended the gang members on June 28 and 29 in Agbarho and Ughelli.
Those arrested include the suspected gang leader and tricycle owner, Lucky Oghenerobor (37), along with Olamide Fagbaibe (24), from Ondo State, and Umeh Akpan (37), from Akwa Ibom State.
Sixteen high-end mobile phones believed to have been stolen from victims were recovered.
Edafe stated that the suspects confessed to robbing unsuspecting passengers mostly along busy commercial routes in Ughelli, Warri, and Sapele.
The CP commended CP-SAT for their diligence and reaffirmed the Command’s determination to dismantle criminal networks, urging residents to report suspicious activities.
He reminded the public of the Command’s emergency control room lines: 08036684974, 08114895600, and 08025666914, for swift response to distress calls.
