The Operatives of the Delta State Police Command, on June 8, 2024, at about 03:40hrs, received credible information from a concerned resident (name withheld) that they had sighted some suspicious-looking boys around the Mango Tree Market who were armed.
The DPO, CSP Edewor Akponegware, immediately led patrol teams of the division to the scene, resulting in the arrest of the following suspects: John Dalami (25 years old), Musa Suleiman (25 years old), Abdullahi Jibril (20 years old), Solomon Uchechukwu (24 years old), Yusuf Joda (21 years old), Egboka Chukwu Charles (21 years old), and Wisdom Syvester (21 years old).
A search was conducted at the scene, resulting in the recovery of a Bagco bag containing a Locally Made Cut-to-Size Gun and one Live Cartridge.
The suspects admitted to being involved in a series of house-to-house armed robbery operations at Issele-Asagba, Coka, and Ibusa.
The case was then transferred to the Special Anti-Kidnapping and Cybercrime Squad for further investigation.
Acting on the confessions of the suspects, they led the operatives to their hideout at the back of DDPA Estate, Asaba, where six additional suspects were arrested, and three locally made cut-to-size guns were recovered. Investigation is ongoing.
Similarly, following complaints received from the father of one Nelson Eserada at Abraka Division, stating that his son had been kidnapped and that the kidnappers were demanding a ransom of Fifty million naira (N50,000,000) in bitcoin.
The suspect also sent a video of the supposed victim tied and being tortured.
The DPO Abraka, SP Fabian Ayameh, swiftly moved into action, embarking on a technical intelligence-led investigation. On June 10, 2024, at about 20:00hrs, one Jerry Lawrence of Jeddo Community, Warri, was arrested in connection with the crime.
Preliminary investigation revealed that the suspect conspired with Nelson Eserada, a 400 Level Student of the Banking & Finance Department of the Delta State University, Abraka, and that the father had already paid the sum of Five Million and Two Hundred Thousand Naira ransom through a Bitcoin account belonging to the principal suspect, Jerry Lawrence.
The suspects are in custody, and the investigation is ongoing.
