The Delta State Police Command has arrested six suspected kidnappers and confiscated over N2.3 million in ransom money.
Delta State Commissioner of Police, CP Abaniwanda Olufemi, announced the arrests on Thursday during a briefing where he showcased 16 suspects allegedly involved in various criminal activities.
Olufemi highlighted the command’s recent achievements and detailed plans to enhance police visibility, including raids on crime hotspots across the 25 local government areas.
He explained, “Acting on credible intelligence, operatives from the Ebrumede Division, while on patrol, intercepted a tricycle carrying six passengers.”
The suspects attempted to flee upon seeing the police, but they were promptly pursued and apprehended. A search of the tricycle revealed N2,344,000 in ransom money and several suspected stolen phones.
“Further investigation revealed that the phones belonged to kidnapping victims, and the money was part of the ransom paid for their release,” Olufemi added.
The anti-kidnapping squad executed a successful operation in the Umunede forest area, rescuing two individuals who had been abducted along the Asaba-Benin Expressway.
According to Olufemi, “When the kidnappers realized the police were closing in, they abandoned the victims and fled.”
The CP also addressed the issue of drug abuse in the state, recounting an incident where the Dragon Patrol team intercepted Jammed Abdulahi Shola, a 39-year-old man, while he was driving a green Toyota vehicle along the Asaba-Agbor Expressway.
He said a search revealed 320 packs of codeine, 125 sachets of tramadol, and other substantial quantities of hard drugs.
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