Delta Police Arrest 16 Suspects, Recover Firearms, Illicit Drugs, Stolen Car

…Foil ₦700k site extortion

The Delta State Police Command has arrested 16 suspects and recovered a stash of firearms, illicit drugs, and a stolen vehicle across multiple coordinated operations in the state.

The successful crackdowns, carried out by various divisional teams and tactical units, targeted suspected cultists, site extortionists, drug dealers, and car thieves.

Confirming the developments in an official statement on Thursday, September 10, 2026, the State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Bright Edafe, stated that the operations highlight the command’s ongoing onslaught against criminal elements.

Acting on actionable intelligence about a planned cult gathering in the Aragba-Orogun community, operatives from the Command Anti-Cult Unit in Ozoro raided the venue.

The raid resulted in the arrest of eight suspects, identified as Godspower Achubue (27), Ziden Edem (27), Kingsley Aniefem (36), Omita John (22), Onumu Happy (22), Kenneth Ukpurakpo (22), Juliet Festus (26), Oghenegueke Okuanah (22).

Advertisement

A subsequent search warrant executed at the residence of one of the suspects led to the recovery of one pump-action gun and a live cartridge.

In another operation on September 8, 2026, police operatives from the Okpanam Division foiled an alleged extortion attempt at a local construction site.

A gang had reportedly invaded the site, halted construction work, seized tools from labourers, and demanded a ₦700,000 protection fee before allowing work to resume.

Deploying swiftly to the scene, the police apprehended 30-year-old Collins Dunkun, while six of his accomplices fled the area. A search of the suspect yielded one locally made single-barrel pistol and a cartridge.

Similarly, on September 8, the Divisional Surveillance Team raided an uncompleted building at King Zanga, Ugbuegwai Community in Warri, following intelligence on illicit drug trafficking.
Five suspects were taken into custody: Rabi’u Salihu (26), Salisu Suleiman (23), Rabilu Ali (24), Alhassan Mohd Mansur (28), and Aliyu Abubakar (25)

Operatives recovered a vast assortment of illicit narcotics from the scene, including Indian hemp, Codeine, Colorado, Rizla, SK, and Canadian Loud.

Advertisement

Meanwhile, a brown Toyota Camry “Pencil Light” (Registration No: BEN-572BT), which was reported stolen in Benin City on September 7, was successfully tracked to the New Era area of Jakpa Road, Ekpan.

Ekpan Division operatives laid an ambush near the sighted vehicle on September 8, leading to the arrest of Destiny Suleman (41) and Samuel Ejiro (21) and the successful recovery of the car.

Reacting to the breakthrough, the Delta State Commissioner of Police, CP Samuel E. Erale, warned that the command will maintain a zero-tolerance policy toward cultism, extortion, drug trafficking, and unlawful possession of firearms.

CP Erale assured Delta residents that the command remains proactively committed to dismantling criminal networks and ensuring public safety. All suspects remain in custody as investigations continue.