Police rescue kidnapped victim in Delta, arrest five suspects

In Delta State, authorities have made significant progress in combating violent crimes, rescuing a kidnapped young woman and apprehending five suspects involved in kidnapping and cult-related murders. On October 3, 2026, a 25-year-old woman was reportedly assaulted and held hostage in Usiefrun Community, leading to the arrest of the main suspect, Brotugbare Francis Onome, aged 29.

During the search, authorities recovered a fabricated Beretta pistol, a magazine, and two rounds of live ammunition. On October 1, 2026, the Abraka Division received reports of an alleged conspiracy to kidnap a woman in Abraka. Two suspects, Endurance Akpade, 37, and Edwin Friday Morgan, 43, were apprehended, along with members of civilian anti-cult operatives, and are currently assisting in the ongoing investigation.

Additionally, VCRU operatives responded to a viral video showing suspected cultists celebrating a murder. On October 1, 2026, they arrested Ezekiel Sunday Izomor, 23, and Emmanuel Ogaganefe, 23, in connection with the murder of a 25-year-old man named Godfrey at Jesse Main Market on March 24, 2026. The suspects recovered a battle axe, four cutlasses, and a hammer during the operation.

Preliminary investigation revealed that Collins, a fleeing suspect, was trying to become the number one man in Aro Bagger Confraternity and needed to murder a rival cult member. Collins, along with two other suspects and a close friend of the victim, is at large. The State Commissioner of Police, Samuel Erale, praised the police for their swift response and commitment to intelligence-led policing in the fight against kidnapping, cultism, and other violent crimes.

He urged the public to provide timely information and cautioned youths against engaging in cultism, emphasizing its destructive impact on their futures.