Delta police arrest eight suspected kidnappers

Operatives of the Delta State Police Command have foiled a kidnap syndicate who have been terrorising residents of Oghara, Sapele, Warri, and environs just as they arrested eight suspected members of the gang.

This was contained in a statement issued by the Police Public Relations Officer for the state command, DSP Bright Edafe, in Warri on Thursday.

The statement noted that sequel to the police receipt of an information related to the kidnap of a 43-year-old woman (name with-held), who was kidnapped by a syndicate of armed men in a tricycle along Shell Road Sapele on 19/11/2023 at about 2100hrs, while driving in her ML-350 Mercedez Benz, the state Commissioner of Police, CP Wale Abass, detailed the operatives of CP -DECOY Squad, led by the Commander, ASP Julius Robinson, to utilise all technically generated intelligence to get the perpetrators of the act.

PUNCH Metro gathered that the victim was taken in her vehicle, until the vehicle ran out of fuel. They moved her into their operational tricycle. She was however released on November 22, 2023 upon payment of N2m ransom.

It was gathered that the CP-DECOY Squad team embarked on a sting operation assisted by the DPO Sapele which led to the arrest of the syndicate’s gang leader,  Morrison Godwin, a 41-year-old male suspect from Okpara Waterside Community in Ethiope East Local Government Area of Delta State at the Amukpe area of Sapele Town at about 1100hrs of the same date.

The suspect confessed to the crime and revealed an intended meeting with other gang members on November 25, to strategise on another kidnapping operation.

Armed with this information, the team laid an ambush at their meeting point on November 26, and arrested the other gang members.

Those nabbed, according to the police spokesman, included Raymond Etchie (46), who negotiated and received the said ransom; Felix Okoro (40)  who is one of the syndicate’s operational drivers; Oghene Ogaga Sylvester (45), who guarded the victim; Henry Edeki (35); Ominike Sunday (23); Jerusalem Sunday (35) and Theophilus Akpofi (29).

The PPRO said all suspects confessed to the crime admitting their various roles and have been identified by the victim.

Also, the suspects during interrogationm disclosed the location of the victim’s vehicle which was later recovered at Oghara Town.

Meanwhile, efforts are being intensified to recover the syndicate’s operational weapons.

The state Commissioner of Police, while applauding the DECOY Squad for their diligence that culminated in the arrest of the kidnappers, reiterated the continued focus by the command to protect the lives of all peace-loving residents of Delta State.

He assured the public that more achievements were on the way, as the command was out to ensure the collective safety of the people of Delta State.

The CP also urged the public to always trust the police to effectively tackle crime in the state and to ensure that residents sleep with their two eyes closed. In the same vein, he called on them to also note that security is everyone’s business hence the need to partner the police and help with all the needed information to tackle crime cannot be overemphasised.