The Delta State Police Command has announced a major breakthrough in its ongoing crackdown on kidnapping and illegal arms trafficking, with the arrest of multiple suspects and recovery of assault rifles and ammunition in coordinated operations across Delta and Rivers states.
In a statement issued by the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Bright Edafe, the command disclosed that operatives of its tactical team in Ughelli, acting on credible intelligence, arrested a 22-year-old suspect, Ahmadu Usman, on April 24, 2026, at about 6:30 p.m. in the Ekuigbo area of Ughelli. Usman, a native of Lafiya in Nasarawa State, was linked to a kidnapping syndicate reportedly terrorising commuters along the Ughelli–Warri Road.
Further interrogation led to the arrest of another suspect, Haruna Abdullahi, 37, at the Trailer Park along the Warri–Sapele Road. Police recovered an AK-47 rifle loaded with 36 rounds of 7.62mm live ammunition from the suspects. Both men are currently in custody as investigations continue, according to the statement by Edafe on Sunday.
In a separate operation, the command uncovered an inter-state gun-running and kidnapping network. On April 23, operatives arrested a suspect in Ughelli alongside Haruna Jibrin, 30, a native of Wase in Plateau State, who was allegedly tasked with transporting illegal arms from Ughelli to Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
Follow-up operations the next day led to the arrest of another accomplice, Isiyaku Adamu, 38, in Rivers State. Police also recovered an AK-47 rifle intended for transport, as well as a blue Toyota Corolla with registration number MUS 138 DJ believed to have been used in the operation.
The Commissioner of Police, Delta State Command, CP Yemi Oyeniyi, reaffirmed the command’s zero tolerance for kidnapping and illegal arms trafficking, assuring residents that sustained intelligence-driven operations would continue to enhance public safety across the state.
Investigations into the cases are ongoing, with police indicating that further arrests may follow.
