•Policemen
Operatives of the Delta State Police Command have arrested members of a notorious kidnapping and armed robbery syndicate responsible for terrorising Warri, Osubi, Agbarho, Sapele, and Ughelli.
The arrests followed a directive by the Commissioner of Police, CP Olufemi Abaniwonda, for the transfer of a kidnapping case reported at Isiokolo Police Station to the CP’s Special Assignment Team.
According to a statement by the command’s spokesperson, SP Bright Edafe, an initial suspect, Augustine Ojanuware, confessed to being part of the syndicate and led police operatives to Osubi and Ughelli, where two other suspects — Precious Urhobowin, 27, from Ewu community, and Julius Okpako, 32, from Oviri-Ogor—were apprehended. Okpako was identified as the owner of a point-of-sale machine used to collect ransom payments.
Preliminary investigations linked the suspects to the June 19, 2015, abduction of a pharmacist in Ughelli, who was released after five days upon payment of an undisclosed ransom.
The syndicate also reportedly abandoned the victim’s Lexus Jeep along the Isiokolo axis. They were also implicated in an attempted kidnapping and car robbery involving a male victim in the Iyede community on April 28, 2025.
Police recovered a locally made gun and eight rounds of live cartridges during the operation.
In a related development, the command also arrested suspected “one chance” robbers who target passengers using commercial tricycles.
“Acting on credible intelligence, on 28/6/2025 and 29/09/2025 operatives of CP – Special Assignment Team ( CP – SAT ) led by ASP Julius Robinson stormed Agbarho town and effected the arrest of Lucky Oghenerobor ‘m’ 37yrs a native of Olomoro Community in Isoko South LGA of Delta State resident in Agbarho town who is the leader and owner of their operational tricycle, other suspects were also arrested within Ughelli town namely; Olamide Fagbaibe ‘m’ 24yrs a native of Akure in Ondo State and Umeh Akpan ‘m’ 37yrs a native of Eket in Akwa – Ibom State both resident in Ughelli town. Suspects confessed that they usually operate in Ughelli, Warri, Sapele, and environs,” the statement said.
Items recovered were 16 different kinds of suspected stolen phones.
