Police arrest notorious interstate kidnap syndicate in Delta

Police arrest notorious interstate kidnap syndicate in Delta

Operatives from the Delta State Police Command’s CP-Special Assignment Team successfully disrupted a notorious interstate kidnapping organisation operating in Delta, Rivers, Enugu, and Imo states.

This was said in a statement signed by SP Bright Edafe, the police public relations officer for Delta State Command, and copies were made available to journalists in Warri on Tuesday.

The police statement reads, “On May 16, 2025, at about 1745 hrs, the operatives followed a trail to Port Harcourt, where they arrested a syndicate member named Idirisu Yakubu, a 21-year-old male suspect from Kwara State but a resident of the Elelenwo area, Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

“Upon interrogation, on May 17, 2025, at about 1320 hrs, he led operatives to the arrest of their gang leader and coordinator viz.: Bello Amodu (40), of Tangaza LGA, Sokoto State, but a resident of the Elelenwo area of Port Harcourt, Rivers State, who is coordinating the various syndicates within the South-South and South-East regions.

“Further investigation led to the arrest of Umar Mohammed Beto (38), of Tsamiya village, Bagudu LGA, Kebbi State, a resident of the Oil Mill Area, Port Harcourt area of Rivers State, who is said to be the one heading the Enugu axis.

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“Upon further interrogation, at about 0635 hrs of the same date, they led operatives to a bush along Ughelli – Ozoro Road where one AK-47 rifle loaded with 23 rounds of live ammunition and a pump action with seven rounds of live cartridges were recovered.”

The police PRO stated that the investigation is ongoing to unravel the crux of the matter.

In a related incident, operatives of the Eagle Net Surveillance Team based at Ughelli, Ughelli North LGA, while acting on intelligence, trailed a kidnapping/armed robbery suspect to a residence located in Warri South LGA, from where they arrested one 53-year-old Benjamin Benemor.

“Upon search of his residence, the exhibits recovered included one English Beretta pistol with a magazine, one English double-barrel pump-action gun, one English single-barrel gun, one locally made single-barrel gun, one locally made short double-barrel gun, one battle axe, and fifteen live cartridges.

“Also, on May 15, 2025, at about 0630 hrs, operatives of the Rapid Response Squad (RRS), while on stop and search along the Asaba-Benin Motorway, flagged down a Jetta vehicle with reg no: ASB18BH with two male occupants named Blessing Ngbajime, aged 49 years, and Okpako Oghenhovo, aged 27.

“Upon search of the vehicle and the occupants, the operatives discovered one fabricated Beretta pistol from Okpako Oghenhovo,” the statement added.

Police arrest notorious interstate kidnap syndicate in Delta