By ABIRHIRE THOMAS
The Delta State Commissioner of Police, CP Ari Mohammed Ali, on Monday, reeled out his achievements in a given period as he traditionally does since he took over the administration of the Delta State Police Command.
CP Ali, while addressing a press conference in Asaba, said: “It is with great pleasure that I address you today on the achievements made by the Command within the period under review. My core mandate is to ensure adequate protection of life and property in the State.
“I had a major stakeholder meeting with Vigilantes, Anti-Cult volunteers, Anti-kidnapping volunteers, Anioma security watch and hunters’ association at officer’s mess, Okwe Asaba, on the need to partner with the Police in the fight against crime and criminality, as the Command obviously cannot do it alone in line with the principles and philosophy of community policing. The Command is also engaging members of the public particularly the youths on the need to shun all forms of social vices, especially cultism and kidnapping which are the most prevalent in the State.
“On the cult clashes in Sapele, Agbor, Abraka, Obiaruku and Ogwashi-Uku communities, I deployed tactical teams to join forces with the DPOS and so far, about sixty-two suspected cultists have been arrested and charged to court. I can tell you that sanity has been restored in these areas.
“I also visited Obiaruku and Owa-Oyibu communities, where I met with the various stakeholders, traditional rulers to discuss ways to curb the menace caused by the activities of kidnappers in their communities and adequate deployments have been made to the affected areas and relative peace has been achieved,” he said listing the achievements.
Below are some of the modest achievements the Command has recorded within the period under review:
RESCUE OF A KIDNAPPED VICTIM: On 16/7/22 at about 1605hrs, operatives of the Command’s Rapid Response Squad, while on visibility patrol around Abraka town, received an information that a man (name withheld) was kidnapped along Eroho-Otoro road, Abraka. The operatives responded swiftly, gave the hoodlums a tireless chase but the four-man kidnapping gang on noticing that the operatives were closing up on them, abandoned the victim, their operational motorcycles and fled into the bush. The Victim was rescued unhurt and has since reunited with his family. Manhunt for the fleeing suspects is ongoing.
ARREST OF SUSPECTED KIDNAPPERS/RECOVERY OF VICTIM’S VEHICLE: Acting on information that a native of Jesse community (name withheld) was kidnapped on 15/7/2022, and a ransom of nine hundred and twenty thousand naira (#920,000) paid, operatives from Ovwian Aladja division in a combined effort with the local vigilantes, on 16/7/2022, embarked on an intelligence led investigation, trailed the kidnappers to Oruhworun, the suspected kidnappers on sighting the Police, abandoned the victim’s lexus RX 330 with reg no. KUJ 138 BQ, took to their heels, but the operatives went after them, two of the suspects were maimed while others escaped. Investigation is ongoing.
ARREST OF A SUSPECT WHO MURDERED HIS GIRLFRIEND IN OZORO: On 16/7/2022, the DPO Ozoro division received a distress call that, one Godspower Adigheti ‘m’ aged 23yrs of Oramudu quarters inflicted machete cut on his girlfriend, one Gift Oloku, aged 22yrs, she was taken to the hospital where she was confirmed dead. Investigations revealed that a fight ensued between the both of them over a disagreement. The Suspect claimed that, she damaged his Iphone 11 PRO MAX while they were fighting, which angered him and he used a machete on her. Suspect is in custody and investigation is ongoing.
ARREST OF TEN SUSPECTED ARMED ROBBERS/CULTISTS AND RECOVERY OF ONE FABRICATED AK47 RIFLE: On 11/7/2022, the Area Commander Asaba, received intelligence on some suspected cultists hibernating somewhere in Mile 5, a boundary between Oshimili North and Oshimili South LGAS and planning on how to attack innocent citizens in the area. I ordered a massive raid in that area and deployed a combined team of Raiders Squad, operatives from GRA Division and Area Command Asaba, who stormed their hideout and arrested ten (10) suspects, recovered one fabricated AK47 rifle, charms, fake Vigilante ID card, AC&DC black ice confraternity regalia. Investigation is ongoing.
THE COMMAND UNCOVERED A BABY FACTORY, RESCUED THREE WOMEN AND ARRESTED TWO SUSPECTS: Acting on credible intelligence, that there is a baby factory located somewhere in Obodogba community in Okpanam, on 10/7/2022 at about 0730hours, operatives of the State Investigation Department stormed the criminal hideout in Okpanam community, Oshimili North LGA where three pregnant women were rescued and two suspects namely, Promise Ejogu ‘m’ aged 25yrs and Aruna Sulieman ‘m’ aged 29yrs were arrested. One of the suspects, Promise Ejogu is a brother to the ring leader of the syndicate (currently at large) who engages in sexual activities with these women to get them pregnant and thereafter, sell the babies for pecuniary interest. They are currently in custody while efforts are on to arrest the other members of the syndicate.
ARREST OF SUSPECTED CULTISTS AND RECOVERY OF THREE LOCALLY MADE GUNS: On 10/7/2022 at about 0130hrs, the DPO Ibusa Police Station received information that men of black axe confraternity aka ‘AYES’ were having their initiation at Zion Road Ibusa. I directed a joint team of State Anti-Cult operatives (SACU), Ibusa Division, and local vigilantes who swung into action, raided their hideout and arrested twenty-five male suspects, recovered three cut- to- size locally made guns, four live cartridges, three regalias belonging to Aye confraternity, one military vest, a pair of Aye confraternity stockings, a gallon of substances suspected to be liquid hard drug, four vehicles and four motorcycles. Investigation is ongoing.
ARREST OF MURDER SUSPECTS: Sequel to the murder of one Isaac Odubu ‘m’ and his wife in Amai Community, the Command acted on intelligence which led to the arrest of three suspects namely; Chukwudi Sunday, Onyebuchi Paul, Ifeanyi Enuma. Investigation revealed that all three suspects were working for the couple, but decided to go into the business of internet fraud. In their quest for money to buy phones and data, they stormed the house of the couple at night to rob them, during which they killed the couple, two of the suspects, Chukwudi Sunday and Onyebuchi Paul raped the wife before she finally she gave up the ghost. They will be charged court upon completion of investigation.
ARREST OF A SYNDICATE THAT SPECIALIZES IN ROBBING INNOCENT CITIZENS ON TRICYCLE(KEKE), RECOVERY OF SEVENTY-FIVE (75) SUSPECTED STOLEN PHONES IN ASABA: Based on series of complaints from members of the public on the incessant cases of Keke robbery in the Command especially within the metro. I directed the command’s decoy squad to crack down the syndicate, the unrelenting efforts by the team yielded results on the 11/7/2022 at about 1800hours, when the operatives trailed them to their hideout close to Kwale park in Asaba and arrested one Akpos Okiemute ‘m’ aged 25yrs and four other suspects. The arrested suspects confessed that one of their gang members named Julius (surname unknown) currently at large, specializes in using the sim cards of their victims to break into their bank accounts and transfer their money. Exhibits recovered includes, three tricycles, charms, seventy-five (75) suspected stolen phones, and two POS machines. Investigation is ongoing.
DELTA STATE POLICE COMMAND NEUTRALIZES FIVE SUSPECTED ARMED ROBBERS AND RECOVERS FIREARMS/CARTRIDGES: On 01/07/2022, Operatives attached to ‘B’ Division Warri, while on Aberdeen patrol along lower Erejuwa Street Warri, received a distress call that a suspected gang of armed robbers were terrorizing Igbudu market/old welfare. The teams acting on this information, swiftly moved to the scene, where the hoodlums on sighting the police engaged them in a gun duel, during which five of the hoodlums sustained serious gunshot injuries, two (2) locally made cut-to-size single barrel guns, three (03) rounds of expended cartridges, three rounds of live cartridges and one dagger were recovered from them. The injured suspects gave up the ghost before getting to the hospital. Investigation in ongoing.
ARREST OF SUSPECTED RITUALIST/MURDER SUSPECT: On 25/06/2022, at about 1030 hrs, one Mrs Success Oduwa ‘f’ aged 24yrs of Peanuts junction, Obeh in Edo State, discovered that she has not seen their child since the morning of 24/6/2022 and she complained to her husband who told her that the child is with his sister in Warri. On getting to Warri, she discovered that the husband was lying to her, hence her suspicion. She reported to the Police, that she is suspecting her husband one Volt Blessing Gabriel (m) aged 33yrs of same address, to have killed their child one Godspower Gabriel (m) aged one year and eight months for ritual purpose. The Commander QRS detailed operatives who swung into action, arrested the suspect and took him to ‘A’ Division Warri for further investigation. Suspect confessed to crime and stated that he murdered the child at Ewabogun bush by catholic road, Benin city in Edo State, using a hand saw to cut off the head of the child and buried it by a palm fruit tree in the bush and threw away the headless body of the child. Suspect has been handed over to Edo State Police command for further investigation.
ARREST OF SUSPECTED ARMED ROBBERS/RECOVERY OF ONE HUNDRED ROUNDS OF 7.62MM AK 47 LIVE AMMUNITION: On the 20/06/2022 at about 0830hrs, Policemen attached to ‘C’ Division Asaba while on stop and search duty at the head-bridge Asaba, Delta State intercepted an unregistered KC Sanya motorcycle conveying four men, one of them holding a black polythene bag. Upon sighting the Police, they abandoned the bike and took to their heels, the officers chased them and arrested two of the four suspects namely; Michael Reuben ‘m’ aged 29yrs and Odemba Onochie ‘m’ aged 30yrs, both of Oko-Anala Oko in Oshimili South LGA of Delta State and one hundred (100) rounds of 7.62MM AK 47 live ammunition were recovered from them. Manhunt for the other fleeing suspects is ongoing.
ARREST OF SIXTY-TWO SUSPECTED CULTIST/RECOVERY OF TWO LOCALLY MADE GUN: On 15/6/2022, the Command received a tip off, that some suspected Eiye Confraternity Cult group will be marking their anniversary in Ogwashi-Uku. The Command swiftly acted on this information and located where and when the ceremony will be held. A combined team of the Command’s Buffalo Patrol team and operatives from Area Command Ogwashi-Uku, stormed the venue at Big Apple Hotel in Ogwashi-Uku and fifty-one (51) suspected cultists were arrested, two cut-to-size locally made guns, one expended cartridge, Eiye Confraternity regalia were recovered. Similarly, eleven suspects belonging to supreme Vikings confraternity were also arrested in Sapele. Case has been charged to court.
It is imperative to state that the successes recorded so far wouldn’t have been possible without the support of Deltans who have been supportive and very passionate about their security and wellbeing. At this juncture, I wish to appreciate all of them and to solicit for more support.
