Rita Enemuru, Reporting
ASABA — The Delta State Police Command has arrested a 22-year-old man for faking his own kidnap, detained two suspects for spreading false narratives about a fatal road crash, and rescued a two‑week‑old baby from alleged traffickers, according to a press briefing by Commissioner of Police, CP Yemi Oyeniyi, on Friday.
In the first case, police received a distress call on 1 July that Michael James, 22, of Idumuesah/Owa‑alero Road, had failed to return after taking out refuse, with kidnappers demanding a ₦25 million ransom. Acting on technical intelligence, operatives cordoned surrounding bushes. When officers closed in, Mr James emerged claiming he had escaped. Under interrogation, he confessed to staging the abduction, saying he had spent money entrusted to him by his sister and devised the plot to raise replacement funds. He remains in custody as investigations continue.
The command also addressed social media reports alleging that police caused a fatal crash on the Ughelli‑Patani Expressway on 27 June. A thorough probe established that a civilian‑driven, unregistered Mercedes‑Benz GLK SUV rammed into a commercial tricycle, killing 51‑year‑old Catherine Umokoro and injuring four others. No police vehicle or officer was involved. However, intelligence‑led digital forensics traced the false posts to Egoh Best Akpobome, 35, and Omonigho Jitobor, 42, who are alleged to have originated and disseminated the misleading account. Both have been arrested and will face charges upon conclusion of the inquiry.
In a separate operation on 30 June, officers from the Ozoro Division rescued a two‑week‑old baby boy after his mother reported that a woman she knew only as “MAMA” – with whom she lived and worked – had taken the child under the pretext of placing him in an orphanage, then denied her access. Police arrested Evelyn Otubo and Esther Joseph, who were found in possession of the infant while awaiting a potential buyer. The baby was unharmed and reunited with his mother.
CP Oyeniyi stressed the command’s commitment to tackling not only conventional crimes but also emerging threats such as disinformation and child trafficking. He urged mothers to remain vigilant and warned relatives against desperate attempts to stage kidnappings for financial gain. The public was also encouraged to provide timely, credible information to help maintain peace and public order across the state.
