By Charles Pemu 
DELTA, NIGERIA — Delta State is grappling with a severe security crisis, with residents facing terror from three classified kidnap formations and numerous splinter groups, sources reveal. The criminal syndicates, operating across the state’s three senatorial districts, have established sophisticated networks and hideouts, often recruiting and intimidating young boys to carry out their operations.
The groups are active in communities including Ubulu-Uku, Ogwashi-Uku, Issele-Azagba, Abraka, and Sapele. While many locals attribute the main kidnapping operations to individuals of Fulani ethnic extraction, a significant number of criminals from Delta State and the South-East are also involved.
One notorious lawless kingpin from the Southeast, after being released from prison, established a dedicated hostage-taking gang in the state. Similarly, some criminally-inclined Delta locals operate their own gangs, often using masks to prevent victims from identifying them. These local groups sometimes recruit criminals from northern Nigeria, armed with AK-47 rifles, to strengthen their ranks.
In a press briefing, Delta State Police Commissioner, Olufemi Abaniwonda, announced a series of major breakthroughs against these criminal networks. In April, police arrested a top kidnap kingpin, Abubakar Usman, also known as Shehu, who later died from injuries sustained in a gun battle. Usman reportedly confessed to multiple kidnappings and murders, including the abduction and killing of a medical doctor and two other victims.
The Commissioner also confirmed that operatives of the Special Anti-Kidnapping and Cybercrime Squad, in collaboration with the Nigerian Army, stormed a kidnappers’ hideout in the Ogwashi-Uku forest on July 30. During a shootout, two kidnappers were killed, and the team recovered a bag containing N3.5 million in ransom money, an AK-47 rifle, and 39 rounds of live ammunition.
Further investigations led to the arrest of another kidnapper, Chiadiji, in Ibusa, from whom an AK-47 rifle and ammunition were recovered. The operation also resulted in the capture of his accomplice, Andrew, who had two pump-action guns in his possession. In a separate operation, the police dismantled a Sapele-Oghara kidnap syndicate, arresting a herbalist who prepared rituals for the criminal gang.
Following a State Security Council meeting, Commander of the 63 Brigade, Nigerian Army, Brigadier-General M.A. Shonibare, claimed that kidnapping and cult-related crimes had seen a “dramatic decline” in the state. He warned that “Those who think Delta State is a haven should think twice.”
Commissioner Abaniwonda corroborated this claim, highlighting the command’s achievements, which include the neutralization of several kidnap suspects, the recovery of multiple firearms, and the seizure of N5.7 million in total ransom money. He assured residents that preparations for the festive season are underway to ensure a peaceful period.