By Emmanuel Enebeli
ASABA/Nigeria: A planned kidnapping targeting a pastor and a retired school principal in Ughelli has been foiled by operatives of the Delta State Police Command following an intelligence-led operation that led to the arrest of a suspected member of a kidnapping syndicate.
The command’s Police Public Relations Officer, SP Bright Edafe, disclosed the development in a statement issued on Wednesday in Asaba, saying the operation followed credible intelligence that exposed an alleged attempt to recruit an individual into a kidnapping gang.
According to the statement, investigations revealed that Jeremiah Kwane, 26, allegedly approached another person with a plan to abduct the two intended victims in Ughelli.
Acting on the intelligence, operatives attached to ‘A’ Division, Ughelli, tracked and arrested the suspect at his workplace on July 31, 2026, before the alleged plot could be carried out.
Police said a search conducted during the operation led to the recovery of one single-barrel gun and two live cartridges, believed to be connected to the planned operation.
The suspect remains in police custody and is undergoing further investigation as detectives work to determine whether other members of the alleged syndicate were involved.
Commenting on the operation, Commissioner of Police, CP Yemi Oyeniyi, said the command would continue to intensify intelligence-led operations aimed at dismantling kidnapping gangs and other violent criminal networks across the state.
He appealed to residents to support the police with timely and credible information, noting that public cooperation remains critical to preventing crime and improving security in Delta State.
