Police rescue kidnapped woman in Delta, arrest five suspects

Operatives of Delta State Police have made some progress in the fight against crime. They rescued a kidnapped woman and arrested five suspects linked to kidnapping and cult-related murder.

At the site where a 25-year-old woman was held, police found one fake Beretta pistol, one magazine, and two live bullets. They arrested a suspect named Brotugbare Onome.

This information was shared in a statement by the Command’s spokesperson, Bright Edafe. The statement was made available to reporters in Warri on Sunday.

The statement said, “On October 3, 2026, at around 8:30 am, the Divisional Police Officer of Otu-Jeremi Division got reliable information from the DPO of Ovwian-Aladja Division. He sent operatives to Usiefrun Community, where a 25-year-old woman had been held.”

“The victim was rescued, and the main suspect, Brotugbare Francis Onome, 29 years old, was arrested. A search led to the recovery of a fake Beretta pistol, a magazine, and two live rounds. The investigation is ongoing.”

In another incident, on October 1, 2026, around 5:30 pm, the Abraka Division received news about a plot to kidnap a woman in the Abraka area.

“Following reliable information, operatives from Abraka Division arrested Endurance Akpade, 37 years old, and Edwin Friday Morgan, 43 years old, along with anti-cult members. They were taken into police custody,” the statement noted.

The Command’s spokesperson said the suspects are helping with the ongoing investigation. “Also on October 1, 2026, operatives of the Violent Crime Response Unit (VCRU) acted on information from a viral video. This video showed suspected cultists celebrating the murder of another suspected cultist. They raided a suspected hideout in Oghara and arrested Ezekiel Sunday Izomor, 23 years old, and Emmanuel Ogaganefe, 23 years old, in connection with the murder of a 25-year-old man named Godfrey at Jesse Main Market, Ethiope West LGA, on March 24, 2026,” Edafe added.

The police also found one battle axe, four cutlasses, and one hammer during the raid. The statement continued, “Preliminary investigation showed that a fleeing suspect named Collins wanted to become the leader of Aro Bagger Confraternity. He planned to kill a rival cult member to reach his goal.”

“Collins worked with the two arrested suspects and a friend of the victim named Richman. Both Richman and Collins are still on the run, but police are working hard to catch them. The arrested suspects are in custody and helping with the investigation.”

Meanwhile, the State Commissioner of Police, Samuel Erale, praised the operatives for their quick response and good intelligence sharing. He reaffirmed the Command’s dedication to intelligence-led policing and fighting kidnapping, cultism, and other violent crimes. He encouraged the public to keep providing reliable information to the police.

The CP also urged the youth to “stay away from cultism,” saying it can ruin their future.