The Delta State Police Command has rescued a 23-year-old kidnap victim and arrested eight suspects in separate operations across the state, recovering three firearms, 26 live cartridges and substances suspected to be Indian hemp.
The operations were conducted between October 20 and 23, 2026, according to a statement issued on Saturday by the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Bright Edafe.
The command said the victim was abducted in front of his residence at Owa-Alero on October 19 by two suspected kidnappers, who allegedly dragged him into a nearby bush.
Following a report by the victim’s brother, operatives of the Owa-Oyibu Division, working with local volunteer groups, launched a search that led to his rescue the following day.
The police said efforts were ongoing to apprehend the fleeing suspects.
In a separate operation on October 23, operatives of the Violent Crime Response Unit raided a hotel in Abraka suspected of being used for drug-related activities.
The operation led to the arrest of six suspected cultists and the recovery of a firearm and substances suspected to be Indian hemp.
According to the statement, some individuals fled when they sighted the operatives, while investigations were ongoing to establish the origin and ownership of the recovered firearm and identify other persons connected to the incident.
The command also reported the arrest of two men, aged 62 and 56, during separate operations at Ekuku-Agbor Community in Ika South Local Government Area.
The first suspect, identified as Richard Nmorsi, was arrested on October 21 after operatives of the Special Anti-Kidnapping Unit, Sector III, Ubuluku, searched his residence with a warrant.
The police said the search yielded a locally fabricated single-barrel firearm, 24 live cartridges and substances suspected to be Indian hemp.
Two days later, operatives of the same unit arrested Amechi Osemeke, 56, at the same community after recovering a serviceable double-barrel firearm and one live cartridge from his residence during a warrant-backed search.
Investigations were ongoing to establish the circumstances surrounding his possession of the firearm.
The Commissioner of Police, Delta State Command, CP Samuel Erale, reaffirmed the command’s commitment to tackling crime and protecting residents.
He said the police would sustain intelligence-led operations to dismantle criminal networks and recover illegally possessed firearms.
The commissioner also urged residents to remain vigilant and provide credible information to security agencies, assuring them that the command would continue working to safeguard lives and property across the state.
