Operatives of the Special Anti-Kidnapping and Cyber Crime Squad of the Delta State Police Command have gunned down six suspected kidnappers in a fierce shootout and arrested five others in a coordinated series of sting operations across the state.

 

The operations, conducted on July 9 and 12 in Ewu community (Ughelli South LGA) and Ogwashi-Uku (Oshimili North LGA), led to the recovery of ₦5 million in ransom and a cache of weapons, according to a statement issued Tuesday by the Command’s spokesperson, SP Bright Edafe.

 

Gun Duel in Ewu Ends in Fatal Shootout

 

In one of the raids led by the CP-Special Assignment Team, the police stormed a suspected kidnap hideout along the Patani-Ughelli Expressway near Unenurhei. The suspects, identified as Solomon Danisco (aka Picolo), Nelson Jacob, Oruma Saturday, Olise Jude, Precious Urhobowin, and Whisky Rufus (aka Asawana), a native of Ewu, reportedly engaged the operatives in a violent gun battle.

 

“The suspects sustained gunshot injuries during the exchange of fire and were rushed to the hospital, where six were confirmed dead. Two others remain in critical condition,” the statement said.

 

 

 

Items recovered from the scene included four locally made guns and nineteen rounds of live cartridges.

 

Ransom Recovered in Ogwashi-Uku

 

In a separate operation on July 12, a team led by CSP Godwin Osadolor apprehended suspected kidnapper Sanusi Abdulahi at a hideout in Ogwashi-Uku. He was found in possession of ₦5 million, believed to be part of the ransom collected from a recent victim.

 

The arrest led police to additional locations in Second Deputy and Oko, Asaba, where four other gang members were apprehended. Preliminary investigations revealed that the suspects were behind several high-profile kidnappings in Ibusa, Ogwashi-Uku, Obulu-Okiti, Isele-Ukwu, Isele-Asagba, and the recent abduction of a young woman in Ogwashi-Uku on Wednesday, July 9, 2025.

 

Police Reaffirm Commitment to Public Safety

 

SP Edafe noted that the operations were carried out under the directive of the Commissioner of Police, CP Olufemi Abaniwonda, as part of the Command’s intensified efforts to root out criminal elements from Delta communities.

 

“This is a strong message to all criminal elements: there is no safe haven in Delta State. Our resolve is firm, and our strategy is working,” Edafe affirmed.

 

 

The successful neutralisation and arrests of the suspected kidnappers highlight the Delta State Police Command’s increasing efficiency in combating organized crime. With communities across the state facing the threat of abductions, the recent breakthroughs are a significant boost to public confidence and a warning to those intending to undermine peace and security in the region.