Delta Police Foil Major Kidnap Plot, Arrest 184 Fraudsters, Recover 247 Rounds of Ammunition

The Delta State Police Command has dismantled a notorious kidnap syndicate operating across Delta and Edo States, apprehending 184 suspected internet fraudsters and recovering 247 rounds of live ammunition for a submachine gun (SMG) rifle.

This was disclosed in a press statement issued on Thursday by the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Bright Edafe, noting that operatives of the CP Special Assignment Team (CP-SAT), led by ASP Julius Robinson, acted on credible intelligence regarding a planned abduction targeting high-profile individuals in Sapele, Oghara, and surrounding areas.

According to the statement, the team arrested 35-year-old Peter Benson of Kwale, Ndokwa West LGA, identified as a spiritual herbalist for the syndicate. Under interrogation, Benson led the operatives to Joseph Saniyo, 63, in Ajakoroma Community, Ovia South-West LGA of Edo State. Saniyo, believed to serve as the gang’s primary spiritualist, was found in possession of three live tortoises and other ritual items suspected to aid the gang’s activities.

“Sequel to a series of intelligence reports received on the planned abduction of several high-profile individuals in Sapele, Oghara, and their environs, by a notorious syndicate under the leadership of one Owei Abebo, alias ‘Adusa’, who has been on the Command’s watch list since 2021, operatives of the CP-Special Assignment Team (CP-SAT) led by ASP Julius Robinson swung into a strategic operation,” the statement read in part.

Recovered Ammunition, live tortoise, cowries (PC: Nigeria Police Force Delta State Command//Facebook)

Further investigations led to the arrest of the gang’s ringleader, Owei Abebo, also known as “Adusa,” aged 42, along with accomplices Ebi Maye (41) and Happy Obegha (39), from communities in Delta and Edo States. A raid on their hideout resulted in the recovery of 247 rounds of live SMG ammunition, thereby foiling what police described as a major coordinated kidnapping operation.

In a separate operation, police operatives, in collaboration with the Nigerian Army, raided a location in Post Housing Estate, Effurun, where they arrested 184 suspects allegedly involved in internet fraud. Recovered items included 273 laptops, 97 smartphones, an iPad, a table phone, nine laptop chargers, and two Wi-Fi routers.

Recovered gadgets (PC: Nigeria Police Force Delta State Command//Facebook)

“All suspects and exhibits have been taken into custody as investigations continue to uncover the full extent of their operations and identify additional collaborators,” the statement added.

Commending the efforts of the officers involved, Commissioner of Police, CP Abaniwonda Olufemi, reaffirmed the command’s commitment to proactive policing, community engagement, and intelligence gathering to ensure Delta State remains secure and inhospitable to criminal networks.