A suspected gunrunner, three cultists and over 11 drug dealers have been arrested by the police in Delta state.
The Delta State Police Command spokesman, DSP Bright Edafe, disclosed this on Tuesday in Asaba, the Delta state capital.
Edafe said the arrests were sequel to the earlier directive issued by the Commissioner of Police, Muhammed Ali, to carry out continuous raid on black spots so that sanity could be restored in the state.
“The Commander, Delta State Anti-Cult Unit, detailed the SACU operatives to the Jesse area of the state. After discreet intelligence gathering, three suspected cultists, Onomua Victor, 29; one Saturday; and Ibru Adegbor, all from Jesse, were arrested. On interrogation, they confessed to be members of the Aro Bagger Confraternity.
“The cult leader, who is on the run, is in possession of their arm, which they call ‘tool’ or as cut-to-size gun. On further interrogation, they confessed that one Francis Ogono, 42, was their gun supplier, who is also from Jesse, and allegedly sold the gun to their group.
“Base on that, on May 29, 2021, the SACU operatives went after the said gunrunner and arrested him. Exhibit recovered include one single-barrelled gun and several tools used for the production of cut-to-size guns,” he said.
He added that 11 members of a drug cartel suspected to be dealing in cocaine in the Sapele area of the state were also arrested.
Edafe said the police acted on credible intelligence and stormed their hideout, where over 50 suspects were sighted, adding, “They immediately took to their heels and the police went after them and arrested Eric Atijegbe, 35; Adams Esubi, 46; Joshua Oda, 18, and nine others.
“On May 27, 2021, the Dragon Patrol team, while on stop-and-search duty along the Ughelli/Warri Expressway by the Ekrehavwe community junction, intercepted and rescued one Ibude Celestine of Okoukoko from kidnappers.
“The victim was kidnapped after dropping her kids in school in Okoukoko. The hoodlums, on sighting the police, abandoned the victim’s Gold Lexus RX 350 SUV.”