ASABA/Nigeria: The Delta State Police Command has recorded major breakthroughs in its ongoing efforts to rid the state of violent crime and drug trafficking, with the successful rescue of a kidnapped victim and the arrest of a suspected drug baron in separate operations.
According to a statement issued by the Police Public Relations Officer, Delta State Command, SP Edafe Bright, ANIPR, FCIA, FIPMD, on Sunday, the incidents occurred on October 12, 2025, in different parts of the state.
In the first operation, the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of Ovian-Aladja Division, CSP Friday Ekundayo, led a team of operatives in a swift response following a distress call from a resident whose wife had been kidnapped by armed men at about 2:00 a.m. The suspects reportedly broke into the family’s apartment, robbed them, and abducted the woman.
Acting immediately on the information, CSP Ekundayo and his team launched a pursuit of the kidnappers, tracing them to a forest along the Iyara community. After intense pressure from the operatives, the suspects abandoned the victim and fled. The woman was rescued unhurt and reunited with her family, while a manhunt for the fleeing criminals is underway.
In a separate operation, operatives of the Crack Squad attached to the Delta State Police Command in Asaba, acting on credible intelligence, stormed a hideout at the Government Reserved Area (GRA), Effurun, and arrested two suspected drug dealers , 33-year-old Igwe Samson and 39-year-old Abalum Sunday.
During the search of their Sienna vehicle, police recovered a large cache of illicit drugs, including 450 bottles of CSP codeine, 188 bottles of Bargadine, 208 sachets of Tramadol 100mg, 300 sachets of Swinol, 100 sachets of Tramadol 500mg, 50 sachets of Rophynol, and a bag of weeds suspected to be cannabis.
Preliminary investigation revealed that the suspects had been in the illicit drug trade for about two years, sourcing their supplies from Onitsha and transporting them mainly at night to evade detection. Police operatives are currently tracking their suppliers and other members of the drug network.
The Commissioner of Police, Delta State Command, CP Olufemi Abaniwonda, commended the gallantry and professionalism of the DPO, CSP Ekundayo, and the Crack Squad operatives for their swift and coordinated response.
CP Abaniwonda also urged youths to steer clear of criminal activities and drug abuse, warning that substance use remains one of the major drivers of violent crime. He further cautioned that drug abuse poses serious risks to the health and well-being of users and should be avoided at all costs.
