Operatives of the Delta State Police Command have rescued unhurt a kidnap victim (name withheld) from Ugolo community in Okpe LGA.
It was gathered that following a distress call over the kidnapping incident on Friday, November 10, 2023, the Commissioner of Police, CP Wale Abass, responded immediately by giving a marching order to the Divisional Police Officer, Orerokpe, CSP Paul Oboware, to activate all mechanisms and ensure that the kidnapped victim was rescued unhurt.
In line with the CP’s directive, at about 1900 hours, the DPO embarked on a technically intelligence-led investigation just as he mobilised men, and stormed the suspected kidnappers’ hideout at Ugolo community.
It was gathered that the kidnappers on noticing that the police were closing in on them relocated the victim to Erueni community while negotiating for ransom.
“Again, the team relentlessly trailed these miscreants to their new hideout, where they were eventually forced to abandon the kidnapped victim in an uncompleted building and escaped”, the Police Public Relations Officer in Delta State, DSP Bright Edafe, told journalists on Monday.
The PPRO affirmed that the victim was rescued unhurt and had since been reunited with his family.
According to the police spokesman, efforts to arrest the fleeing suspects were ongoing.
Meanwhile, operatives of Eagle-Net Special Squad of the state command, on November 8, 2023, acting on credible information, stormed Ugolo Community in Okpe LGA where one 34-year-old Israel Akitia was arrested.
During a search of his residence, one locally fabricated cut-to-size gun with three live cartridges was recovered.
The police said investigation was ongoing in the incident.
In a related development, on November 9, 2023 at about 1405hrs, while the police visibility patrol team from the Agbarho Division was on a stop-and-search duty alongside local vigilantes at ‘Five Junction’, Agbarho, they saw two adult male suspects who on sighting the patrol team, threw their bag away, and took to their heels into a nearby bush.
When the operatives conducted a further search on the bag, one locally fabricated pistol was recovered.
The PPRO said the exhibit was in custody while effort was on to arrest the fleeing suspects.
The state Commissioner of Police, CP Wale Abass, while congratulating Deltans “for the relatively peaceful ember months so far” attributed the development to the resolution of the command as well as the cooperation the command was getting from the public.
The CP encouraged members of the public to reach out to the police on noticing any suspicious movement or person in their environment through the contacts of the Command Control Room 08036684974, 08125958005, 09053872287 or the PPRO Office 09155570007; 09155570008 or visit the nearest Police Station or the PPRO’s Office.
