Delta Police Bust Criminal Network, Arrest Five Suspects, Recover Arms, Illicit Drugs

Five suspects have been arrested by operatives of the Buffalo Team and Raiders Unit of the Delta State Police Command, over alleged armed robbery, kidnapping and being in possession of illicit drugs.

Four of the suspects were arrested by the police in collaboration with members of the Vigilante Group of Nigeria (VGN), Achalla Branch along the Benin–Asaba Expressway.

The other was held by the Raiders Unit, following a raid on a suspected criminal hideout at Ika South Local Government Area, Agbor.

Delta State Police Public Relations Officer SP Bright Edafe, who confirmed this in a statement, on Monday, said that the successful operation recorded across different parts of the State, led to the arrest of suspects and recovery of firearms, illicit drugs, and dangerous weapons.

The arrests, he said followed a series of decisive, intelligence-driven operations aimed at dismantling criminal networks and reinforcing public safety in the state.

He said that acting on credible intelligence, the operatives of the Buffalo Team, had carried out a coordinated raid at Hausa Market by the Customs Checkpoint along the Benin–Asaba Expressway.

Edafe said that the operation led to the arrest of four suspects namely: Yakubu Umar, 19 years; Galiu Adamu, 17 years; Nuhu Musa, 16 years; and Zaraduwu Usman, 21 year.

Items recovered include large quantities of suspected illicit drugs, namely Colorado, Canadian Loud, weeds suspected to be Indian hemp, Tramadol, and Swinol. Also recovered were two (2) locally fabricated battle axes and the sum of One Hundred and Forty-Four Thousand Naira (₦144,000).

All suspects and exhibits are in custody, while investigation is ongoing.

In the same vein, operatives of the Raiders Unit, acting on credible intelligence, on April 4, arrested one Henry Obi, aged 34 following a raid on a suspected criminal hideout at Ika South Local Government Area, Agbor.

The suspect, a native of Anambra State, confessed to being a member of the Aiye Confraternity, he said.

“A thorough search of the premises resulted in the recovery of one English-made pistol with six (6) rounds of live ammunition. Further search revealed suspected illicit drugs ingeniously concealed within the body of a standing LG air conditioner in the parlour, suggesting deliberate efforts to evade law enforcement detection.

The suspect and exhibits are currently in custody, while investigation is ongoing”, the statement added.

Meanwhile, the Commissioner of Police, Delta State Command, CP Yemi Oyeniyi, has commended the operatives for their swift and coordinated actions, noting that such operations are critical in sustaining the Command’s ongoing crackdown on crime.

He urged members of the public to remain vigilant and continue to provide credible information to the Police, assuring that the Command will not relent in its efforts to safeguard lives and property across the State.