The Delta State Police Command announced on Monday that it successfully apprehended a group of suspected hoodlums responsible for causing chaos in Warri and its surrounding areas. As part of the operation, law enforcement officials were able to seize a significant cache of weapons from the criminals.
Speaking on the matter, the State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Bright Edafe, shared the details of the operation on the department’s official Twitter account. According to DSP Edafe, the arrests were made in response to credible intelligence regarding the activities of these criminal elements.
The suspects have been actively operating in Warri, Udu, Koko, and nearby locations. Leading the surveillance team, CSP Aliyu Shaba, the Divisional Police Officer of Ekpan Division, successfully tracked down the culprits to their hideout at Aladja Grammar School in Aladja Town, Udu Local Government Area. The suspects were swiftly apprehended.
Upon the arrival of the police, the hoodlums attempted to escape, but were quickly apprehended in the vicinity of the uncompleted building. A search around the immediate area led to the discovery of a sack bag containing several items of interest.
The sack bag yielded the following items: one AK47 Rifle, one magazine filled with seven rounds of 7.62mm ammunition, one English pump action gun with three live cartridges, and two cut-to-size double-barrel guns.
In a separate incident that occurred on August 20, 2023, at approximately 1509hrs, the DPO Ekpan received a call from a concerned citizen, Alhaji (name withheld), who reported suspicious individuals within their premises along the Warri Sapele Road.
Upon being exposed by the civilian security personnel present in the yard, the suspects hastily fled, abandoning a sack in the process. A thorough examination of the sack bag resulted in the discovery of two locally made single-barrel guns, each of which was detachable, as well as 18 live cartridges.
The DPO promptly dispatched officers from the division to secure the scene and recover the firearms and ammunition, which have since been registered as exhibits. Ongoing efforts are underway to identify and apprehend the remaining fugitives connected to the incident.