Delta Police Arrest Eight, Rescue Kidnap Victim
Police Rescue Abducted Woman in Sapele and Recover Locally Made Pistols and Suspected Illicit Drugs in Separate Operations
The Delta State Police Command has reported a series of operations that resulted in the rescue of a kidnapped woman, the arrest of eight suspects and the recovery of firearms and suspected illicit drugs. According to the command, the operations were carried out in Sapele and Abraka as part of intensified efforts to tackle kidnapping, violent crime and other criminal activities across the state.
The police said the kidnapping incident occurred on September 2, when a woman was reportedly ambushed by armed men near the entrance of her residence along Eko Amukpe Road in Sapele. The attackers allegedly fired shots before taking the woman into a nearby bush. Following a distress report, police patrol and surveillance teams, supported by local vigilantes, launched a search of the surrounding area.
The search continued through the night and into September 3, reportedly putting pressure on the kidnappers and forcing them to abandon the victim and flee. Police subsequently located and rescued the woman unharmed and reunited her with her family. Spent ammunition casings were reportedly recovered at the scene, while investigators continued efforts to identify and apprehend the fleeing suspects.
In a separate operation in Abraka, officers attached to the Violent Crime Response Unit reportedly raided areas described by police as criminal hotspots while investigating an earlier attempted-murder case. Eight suspects were arrested during the operation. Police also reported recovering three locally made pistols and quantities of suspected illicit drugs, which were taken into custody as part of the ongoing investigation.
The Commissioner of Police in Delta State, CP Samuel E. Erale, commended the officers and local security personnel involved in the operations. He directed that efforts be intensified to apprehend suspects still at large and said the command would continue intelligence-led operations and patrols across the state. The arrested individuals remain suspects, and any allegations against them will have to be established through due process and the courts.
