By Onyeanya Ebere Immaculata
Operatives of the Special Anti-Kidnapping and Cybercrime Squad under the Delta State Police Command have dismantled a notorious kidnap syndicate operating in the Ogwashi-Ukwu forests, Oshimili North Local Government Area.
Five suspects were arrested, and ₦5 million believed to be ransom money was recovered.
The operation, led by CSP Godwin Osadolor, was carried out on July 12, 2025, at about 6.30 a.m., following weeks of intelligence gathering and surveillance.
Acting on a tip-off, officers tracked the gang to their hideout in Ogwashi-Ukwu, where a suspect identified as Sanusi Abdulahi was apprehended with ₦5 million in cash suspected to be part of a ransom collected from a recent abduction.
According to the spokesperson of the Delta State Police Command, SP Bright Edafe, preliminary investigations have linked the gang to multiple kidnapping incidents across communities including Ibusa, Ogwashi-Ukwu, Obulu-Okiti, Isele-Ukwu, and Isele-Asagba.
The gang was most recently implicated in the July 9, 2025 abduction of a young woman in Ogwashi-Ukwu.
Following Abdulahi’s arrest, police operatives were led to other hideouts in Second Deputy and Oko, Asaba, where four more members of the gang were captured. Investigations are still ongoing.
In a separate operation, officers from the CP’s Special Assignment Team conducted a sting operation on July 9, 2025, at about 8.35 a.m. along the Patani-Ughelli Expressway, near the Unenurhei axis.
The operation targeted another suspected gang linked to violent crimes in the region.
The suspects identified as Solomon Danisco also known as Picolo, Nelson Jacob, Oruma Saturday, Olise Jude, Precious Urhobowin, and Whisky Rufus also known as Asawana, reportedly engaged police operatives in a gun duel.
All six suspects sustained gunshot injuries and were taken to the hospital, where they were confirmed dead on arrival.
Two others are currently receiving medical treatment under police custody.
Items recovered from the scene included four locally-made firearms and 19 rounds of live ammunition.
The Delta State Police Command has restated its commitment to eradicating crime across the state and urged members of the public to provide timely and credible information to aid ongoing operations.
The Command also released its emergency contact numbers: 08036684974, 08114895600, and 08025666914.
