The Delta State Police Command says it has intensified its clampdown on criminal activities, leading to the arrest of more than 80 suspects across the state within the last month.
Commissioner of Police, Abaniwonda Olufemi, disclosed this on Wednesday while briefing journalists at the command headquarters in Asaba.
He said the arrests were made during intelligence-led operations targeting armed robbery, drug trafficking, and fraud syndicates.
“Deltans can attest that the state has become very hot for criminals in recent times. Under my watch, the command will not relent in this mandate. We will continue to pursue and bring to justice all criminally minded individuals,” Olufemi assured.
According to him, the police recovered 31 firearms, 86 rounds of ammunition, and several stolen vehicles during the operations. Other items retrieved included motorcycles, laptops, mobile phones, and household electronics.
The police chief revealed that in Ughelli, officers arrested a 52-year-old woman described as a notorious drug dealer, alongside her apprentices. A cache of controlled substances was seized, including 355 bottles of codeine, tramadol, and Canadian liquid cannabis.
He further noted that detectives uncovered a fraud syndicate that specialised in hypnotising victims and draining their bank accounts.
“From this group alone, we recovered two Toyota Camry vehicles, 16 suspected stolen iPhones, and evidence of fraudulent transactions worth over ₦23.5 million,” Olufemi explained.
In a separate case, operatives arrested a 35-year-old suspect from Edo State who allegedly attempted to sell stolen vehicles for ₦2 million each.
The commissioner reaffirmed that residents could “sleep with their two eyes closed” as the command remains determined to dismantle criminal networks across Asaba, Ughelli, Ogwashi-Uku, and other communities.
This development comes just a day after the Nasarawa State Police Command announced the arrest of nine suspects and the recovery of over 4,000 rounds of ammunition in a similar intelligence-driven operation.