Rita Enemuru, Reporting
THE Delta State Police Command has intensified its clampdown on violent crime, arresting suspected kidnappers, rescuing abducted victims, and recovering a large quantity of live ammunition in separate operations across the state.
A statement by the Command’s spokesperson, SP Bright Edafe, on Thursday said the operations, which took place in Bomadi, Asaba, and Ubeji, were the result of intelligence-led policing and swift tactical action by the Command’s operatives.
In Bomadi, police officers on a joint stop-and-search duty with local vigilantes intercepted a motorcycle along the Bomadi–Tuomo Road conveying a 62-year-old woman, identified as Charter Timide, who was found with a concealed sack containing 178 live cartridges.
The Divisional Police Officer, CSP Adie Peter Bissong, who led the operation, said the suspect became uneasy when stopped for a search, prompting officers to examine her luggage.
Upon interrogation, she allegedly confessed to purchasing the ammunition from Onitsha Main Market for delivery to an undisclosed location.
The Command has since launched further investigations to determine whether the ammunition was intended for criminal use or illegal sale.
In a separate incident in Ubeji Community, near the Ubeji Gas Plant, officers from the Ekpan Division acted swiftly following a distress call reporting a kidnapping.
The Divisional Police Officer, CSP Labe Joseph, immediately dispatched a tactical team to the area.
On sighting the police, the suspected kidnappers fled into an abandoned poultry house.
The area was cordoned off, and seven suspects were subsequently arrested.
They included Felix Omone (33), Solomon Omone (29), Tony Eboye (34), Omone David (32), Jerry Omone (33), Godspower Omone (25), and Edewho Bomele (33) — all residents of Ubeji Community.
The operation led to the successful rescue of three male victims from Jeddo Community, who were abducted from a dredging site and held hostage while ransom negotiations were ongoing.
The victims have since been reunited with their families, while investigations continue to track down fleeing accomplices and recover weapons used in the crime.
Commending the officers for their bravery and professionalism, the Commissioner of Police, CP Olufemi Abaniwonda, reaffirmed the Command’s determination to stamp out kidnapping, armed robbery, and illegal arms trade across Delta State.
