By Peter Onyekachukwu 
By Peter Onyekachukwu
The Delta State Police Command has recorded major breakthroughs in its fight against crime, dismantling kidnapping syndicates, smashing gangs that vandalise churches, and recovering dangerous weapons in a series of operations across the state.
Commissioner of Police, CP Abaniwonda S. Olufemi, who disclosed this during a press briefing in Asaba on Wednesday, said the Command arrested 95 suspects, recovered 16 firearms, and seized a truckload of illicit drugs in September 2025 alone.
He explained that the Command had been inundated with complaints of criminals targeting churches in Sapele, Ogwashi-Uku, and parts of Asaba, carting away valuable equipment. As a response, the police deployed strategic teams to protect worship centres, a move that has already led to arrests and recovery of stolen items worth millions of naira.
Highlighting some of the major successes, CP Olufemi said operatives of the Special Assignment Team arrested two suspected kidnappers in Rivers and Imo States who later led police to a hideout in Ughelli. The recovery included an AK-47 rifle, two magazines, 43 rounds of live ammunition, a pump-action gun, and a locally made pistol. In a follow-up gun battle, the suspects and some gang members were fatally injured, while two police officers sustained gunshot wounds.
In another case, operatives rescued a man kidnapped in Ogwashi-Uku who was shot in the leg despite paying a ₦2 million ransom. Three suspects were arrested across Anambra and Delta States, with recoveries including the victim’s Venza SUV, a Toyota Matrix operational vehicle, and a network jammer.
The Command also reported a joint operation with Operation Delta Sweep at Boji Boji Owa, where two kidnappers were neutralised, and another AK-47 rifle with 40 rounds of live ammunition was seized.
CP Olufemi further disclosed that police intercepted a Toyota Sienna van carrying two suspects who attempted to rob a church in Ogwashi-Uku. They were found with multiple firearms, including a pump-action gun and locally fabricated rifles, as well as tools used to break into churches.
Beyond robbery and kidnapping, the Command also tackled cultism and drug trafficking. In Jesse, Ethiope West LGA, 12 suspected cultists were arrested during a raid, while in Asaba, 27 suspects were rounded up during a drug operation where illicit substances and a locally fabricated gun were recovered.
The police also rescued a 14-year-old girl, Rebecca Mathew, abducted from Niger State, after tracking her kidnapper, Bila Halili, to Agbor. The victim was reunited with her family after operatives discovered she had been hypnotised and isolated from her relatives.
According to the police chief, the month’s operations yielded:
16 firearms and 94 rounds of ammunition,
One truckload of illicit drugs,
95 suspects arrested for various offences.
He urged residents to remain vigilant and continue to provide intelligence to security agencies, assuring that the Delta State Police Command will sustain the momentum in ensuring the safety of lives and property.