ASABA/Nigeria: The Delta State Police Command has recorded major breakthroughs in its ongoing war against violent crime, with three suspected kidnappers shot dead during a gun battle, and seven others arrested across Ughelli and Asaba in a series of coordinated sting operations led by the CP-Special Assignment Team (CP-SAT).
In a late-night encounter on May 27, 2025, around 11:35 p.m., operatives of CP-SAT, deployed by the Commissioner of Police, CP Olufemi Abaniwonda, were on covert patrol along the Ughelli–Patani Road when they attempted to flag down a shuttle bus near Ewhereni Junction. According to police reports, the suspects in the bus opened fire on the officers, sparking a fierce gun duel. Three of the attackers were critically wounded and later died in hospital. An AK-47 rifle and eighteen rounds of live ammunition were recovered from the scene, while other gang members fled under the cover of darkness.
In another major operation days earlier, on May 24, police stormed a criminal hideout after credible intelligence pointed to a gang notorious for motorcycle thefts and armed robberies around Asaba, Okpanam, Ibusa, and Ogwashi-Uku. At about 8:45 a.m., CP-SAT operatives, again led by ASP Julius Robinson, arrested 38-year-old Ifeanyi Okolie, also known as “Black Jesus,” in Okpanam. A subsequent search led police to a bush near the Okpanam City Gate, where they discovered three locally made guns, four live cartridges, and a suspected stolen Q-Link motorcycle.
Further investigations led to the arrest of three more suspects: Ogochukwu Emmanuel, 33, from Ebonyi State but resident in Okpanam; Joseph Egwu, 42, also from Ebonyi and resident at Okwe in Asaba; and Yakubu Yusuf, 28, from Kano State and resident at the Abraka Market area of Asaba. Police said Yusuf served as the fence for the stolen items. Additionally, a Beretta pistol loaded with five live rounds was recovered from the home of another suspect identified as “Nino” in Ibusa, who is currently on the run.
Delta Police Commissioner Olufemi Abaniwonda, while praising the tactical efficiency of the CP-Special Assignment Team, said the operations reaffirm the Command’s commitment to ridding the state of criminal networks. “These successful raids and arrests are proof of our resolve to reclaim Delta communities from violent elements. We will not relent,” CP Abaniwonda declared.
He urged residents to remain vigilant and collaborate with law enforcement by reporting suspicious activity to the nearest police station or calling the Command’s emergency numbers: 08036684974, 08114895600, and 08025666914.
The Command’s spokesperson, SP Edafe Bright, reaffirmed the police’s readiness to sustain the tempo of enforcement across all local government areas, warning criminals to either repent or face the full wrath of the law.
