The Delta State Police Command has rescued a kidnapped victim and arrested five suspected kidnappers and cultists in separate operations across the state.
The command also recovered a fabricated Beretta pistol, one magazine, two rounds of live ammunition, a battle axe, four cutlasses and a hammer during the operations.
In a statement issued on Sunday by the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Bright Edafe, the command said operatives of the Otu-Jeremi Division, acting on intelligence from the Ovwian-Aladja Division, rescued a 25-year-old woman who was allegedly assaulted and held hostage at Usiefrun Community.
The operation, which took place at about 8:30 a.m. on October 3, 2026, led to the arrest of a 29-year-old suspect, Brotugbare Francis Onome. A search of the premises allegedly led to the recovery of the fabricated pistol, magazine and ammunition.
The police said investigation into the incident was ongoing. In a separate operation, operatives of the Violent Crime Response Unit arrested two suspected cultists over the alleged murder of a 25-year-old man identified as Godfrey at Jesse Main Market, Ethiope West Local Government Area.
The victim was allegedly killed on March 24, 2026.
The suspects, identified as 23-year-old Ezekiel Sunday Izomor and 23-year-old Emmanuel Ogaganefe, were arrested on October 1 at a suspected criminal hideout in Oghara. Their arrest followed intelligence obtained from a viral video allegedly showing suspected cultists celebrating the murder.
According to the police, preliminary investigation indicated that a fleeing suspect, identified as Collins, allegedly planned the killing in an attempt to become the leader of the Aro Bagger confraternity. He was said to have connived with the two arrested suspects and another suspect identified as Richman, who was described as a close friend of the deceased.
The police said Collins and Richman were still at large, while efforts to arrest them were ongoing. The weapons recovered at the hideout included one battle axe, four cutlasses and one hammer.
Also on October 1, operatives of the Abraka Division, working with members of civilian anti-cult groups, arrested two men over an alleged plot to kidnap a woman in Abraka.
The suspects, identified as 37-year-old Endurance Akpade and 43-year-old Edwin Friday Morgan, were taken into police custody and are assisting with the investigation.
The Commissioner of Police, Delta State Command, CP Samuel E. Erale, commended the operatives for their swift response and effective intelligence sharing.
Erale reaffirmed the command’s commitment to intelligence-led policing and the fight against kidnapping, cultism and other violent crimes.
He urged residents to continue providing the police with credible and timely information, while advising youths to shun cultism, which he described as a force capable of destroying their future.