Police k*ll kidnappers terrorizing Delta State in gun duel, arrest 1 other

Operatives of Delta Police Command, have killed two kidnappers, and arrested one terrorizing Ughelli and Warri areas of the state.

It was gathered that the suspects were neutralized in separate operations carried out on Monday, January 16, 2023, and Wednesday, January 18 by operatives attached to the Ughelli and Ekpan police divisions.

Disclosing this incident, the Police Public Relations Officer in Delta, Bright Edafe said the dragon patrol teams 19 and 20 received information while on stop and search duty around Quest FM that a man had earlier been kidnapped. 

According to Edafe, the policemen immediately swung into action and with the community’s help, they rescued the victim.

“Consequently, the operatives swung into action and proceeded to the said area with a view to rescuing the kidnapped victim and arresting the suspects.

“The policemen, with the active support of members of the community, trailed them to Patani Road, where the hoodlums, on noticing that the police were closing in on them, drove recklessly and got involved in an accident.

“The police quickly intercepted the car while trying to flee the scene, arrested one of the suspects named Lucky Owofasa ‘m’ aged 28 yrs of Ewu community Ughelli North LGA and a cut-to-size locally made gun, three (03) live cartridges were recovered from him while others escaped. 

“The victim who was locked in the boot of the car was rescued unhurt and reunited with his family. Manhunt for the other fleeing members of the gang is ongoing,” the police spokesperson said in a statement.

In a related development, the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of Owvian Aladja Police Station, CSP Aliyu Shaba, reportedly received a distress call that a male corpse was found at the expressway close to Ujevwu Junction in the Udu Local Government Area of Delta State.

The corpse was later identified to be a 26-year-old man, Efe Peter, a native of Egiegi community, who was shot by some armed robbers.

Following the incident, a good-spirited individual reported at the station that the deceased was his tricycle rider, and it has a tracking device installed on it.

“It was on this information that the operatives again swung into action, trailed and located the tricycle to Warri/Sapele road by mercy city church where the robbers, on sighting the police, opened fire in a bid to escape and the police responded accordingly.

“In the ensuing gun duel, one of the suspects was neutralized, while the other suspect who sustained a serious gunshot injury was arrested. He confessed to the murder of the deceased and revealed that his other gang members were one Kparobo 'm', Smally Macaiver 'm' and progress 'm' all residing in Ekpan,” Edafe added.

While disclosing that the injured suspect was taken to a hospital where he gave up the ghost, the police spokesperson said one cut-to-size locally made single barrel gun, one cartridge, and two expended cartridges were recovered from them.