Police arrest 16 suspects in Delta, recover guns, stolen car

The Delta State Police Command has made significant arrests and recovered weapons and stolen property in a series of operations across the state. In total, 16 suspects were apprehended, including those linked to cult gatherings, extortion attempts, and drug-related activities. A total of two firearms and suspected illicit drugs were recovered during these operations.

Eight suspects were arrested during a raid on a suspected cult gathering in Aragba-Orogun, carried out by the Command's Anti-Cult Unit. Among those arrested were Godspower Achubue, Ziden Edem, Kingsley Aniefem, Omita John, Onumu Happy, Kenneth Ukpurakpo, Juliet Festus, and Oghenegueke Okuanah. A search warrant at a suspect's residence led to the recovery of a pump-action gun and a live cartridge.

In another operation on September 8, operatives from the Okpanam Division apprehended Collins Dunkun, a 30-year-old suspect, following a report of an alleged extortion attempt at a construction site. The suspects allegedly invaded the site, seized workers' tools, and demanded N700,000 before allowing work to continue. The police found a locally made single-barrel pistol and a cartridge during a search of Dunkun, with efforts to arrest the fleeing suspects ongoing.

On the same day, a raid on an incomplete building in Ekpan uncovered quantities of suspected illicit drugs, including Indian hemp, Codeine, Colorado, Rizla, SK, and Canadian Loud. Five suspects were arrested during this operation - Rabi'u Salihu, Salisu Suleiman, Rabilu Ali, Alhassan Mohd Mansur, and Aliyu Abubakar. Police found substances believed to be illicit drugs during the search.

In a separate operation in Ekpan, two suspects were arrested after a stolen Toyota Camry was recovered. The vehicle, a brown Toyota Camry Pencil Light with registration number BEN-572BT, was stolen in Benin City on September 7. The suspects, Destiny Suleman and Samuel Ejiro, were apprehended after tracing the vehicle to New Era, Jakpa Road, Ekpan.

CP Samuel E. Erale, the Commissioner of Police for Delta State Command, warned that criminal activities such as cultism, firearm possession, extortion, and drug trafficking would not be tolerated in the state, vowing to continue proactive measures to prevent crime and bring offenders to justice.