Rita Enemuru, Reporting
DELTA State Police have smashed a notorious armed robbery syndicate accused of targeting solar shops, electronics stores, and churches across Warri and Osubi, after a sharp-eyed sales rep helped bring them to justice.
The breakthrough began with a raid on a solar shop in Okuokoko Community, where four masked men in a gold Toyota Sienna (registration EFR-118 XB) held a female sales assistant at gunpoint, tied her up with rope, and made off with batteries, inverters, phones and other kit worth around N15 million.
But on 26 April 2026 at about 9am, the same victim spotted two of her attackers in Osubi and tipped off Orerokpe Division officers. Police grabbed Ajeh Zephaniah, 28, and Anthony Okoro, 32, both Osubi residents.
Under questioning, the pair coughed to a string of jobs and named fleeing accomplices “Elvis” and “Ochuko”, plus fences Arinze Ezisi (Okumagba Avenue, Warri) and Chinonso Valentine (Eboh Road, Warri).
Searches later recovered the gang’s gold Sienna, plus solar batteries, inverters, charge controllers, TVs, cables, cameras, and crucially—church musical equipment. Cops say the same crew robbed multiple churches in Warri and Osubi, nicking gear worth an estimated N80 million.
Delta CP Yemi Oyeniyi praised the team and vowed: “We’re coming for the runners and their firearms.”
He urged locals to keep feeding police with live intel.
