By Peter Onyekachukwu 
By Peter Onyekachukwu
The Delta State Police Command has smashed two criminal gangs in separate operations, arresting four suspected kidnappers and armed robbers, and recovering an AK-47 rifle, a stolen SUV, and the syndicate’s operational vehicle.
The command said the breakthroughs followed intelligence-led operations carried out in Ogwashi-Uku, Ekpan, and Ometan communities earlier this month.
Police spokesperson, SP Edafe Bright, who confirmed the arrests in a statement on Monday, said the suspects were rounded up by operatives attached to the Ekpan Division and the Special Anti-Kidnapping and Cyber Squad.
On September 12, operatives led by Ekpan Divisional Police Officer, CSP Labe Joseph, arrested two men—Elvis Ebroghro, 36, and Abiola Adegore, 34—while investigating a foiled attempt to steal a car battery in Ometan. A third suspect, Lucky Ebroghro, was later apprehended. A follow-up search led to the recovery of an AK-47 rifle hidden in an isolated building in the community.
In a separate incident, kidnappers stormed a residence in Ogwashi-Uku on September 8, abducting a young man and later collecting ₦2 million ransom before shooting him in the leg. Acting on a distress call, operatives led by CSP Godwin Osadolor tracked the gang to the Ogwashi-Uku bush, rescued the victim, and launched further raids.
Two suspects, identified as Chukwuebuka Nka, 25, from Enugu State, and Uche Okechukwu from Imo State, were arrested in Ndemili North, Anambra State, where the victim’s white Toyota Venza SUV was recovered. Their confessions led police to Agidiase village, Ogwashi-Uku, where another suspect, Somto Chukwuma, 18, was picked up. At the gang’s hideout, operatives recovered their operational Toyota Matrix vehicle (registration number RRT-331-AE) and a network jammer.
The Commissioner of Police, CP Olufemi Abaniwonda, lauded the officers for their professionalism, warning that criminals would find no safe haven in Delta State. He assured residents that the command remains committed to dismantling criminal networks across the state.