The Delta State Police Command have arrested one Collins Okonji and eight other suspected cultists during a raid at Ogwashi-Uku in Aniocha South LGA of the state.
The acting Police Public Relations Officer in the state, DSP Bright Edafe disclosed this in a statement on Saturday 12, adding that the suspected cultists were arrested after operatives raided their hideout and recovered some dangerous weapons from the criminals.
“Acting on a credible intelligence, that another cult group will be converging somewhere in ogwashi-uku, on the 7/6/2021 at about 2300hrs, detailed and led operative of SACU who raided their hideout at Ogwashi-Uku in Aniocha South LGA OF Delta State where their mischievous meeting is to hold and arrested one Collins Okonji and 8 other suspected cultists. Exhibits recovered from them include: one (1) English Pump action gun, one (1) double barrel cut to size gun, one (1) battle axe and two live cartridges. Investigation is ongoing,” he said.
In similar incident, Edafe said the police acting on a tip off that three armed men were at old Ekete road robbing passersby swiftly went into action in which one of the armed robbers was killed during a gun battle while others escaped.
The police PRO said “On the 7/6/2021 at about 2305hrs, acting one tip off that three armed men were at old Ekete road robbing passersby. The divisional police officer Ovwian Aladja Division swiftly mobilized and led patrol teams to the scene on sighting the patrol vehicle one unidentified among them was gun down on process of exchange of firing while the remaining two escaped. One (1) locally made pistol with two (2) cartridges was recovered. Effort to arresting the fleeing gang members is ongoing.”
In another operation, the police while on patrol/stop and search along Ughelli-Porthacourt road intercepted a Mazda 626 saloon car, on the process of searching a sack containing rice, one hundred and thirty-eight (138) rounds of AK47 live ammunitions, one AK47 magazine, one Baretta pistol magazine and a knife was recovered.
The owner of the bag jumped into a nearby stream running while a hot chase ensued but all efforts to catch up with him proved abortive as he escaped into the forest.
Edafe said “while team Eagle-net special squad were on routine patrol/stop and search along Ughelli-Porthacourt road intercepted a Mazda 626 saloon car dark green in colour with Reg. No. UGH 722 AA with six occupants of two males and four females all occupants were asked to come down from the vehicle for searching, on the process of searching a sack containing rice, a man whose name is not yet known among the occupants jumped into a nearby stream running while a hot chase ensued but all efforts to catch up with him proved abortive as he escaped into the forest. The rice bag was identified by other passengers as his own, when search was conducted on the bag, one hundred and thirty-eight (138) rounds of AK47 live ammunitions, one AK47 magazine, one Baretta pistol magazine and a knife was recovered preliminary investigation revealed that the occupants are all passengers that boarded the cab from Eleyele PHC heading to Ughelli, Investigation is ongoingwhile all effort is being put in place to arrest the fleeing suspect.”
He disclosed that the commissioner of Police, CP Ari Muhammed Ali FCIA, psc+ has mandated officers and men of the command, tactical commands, DPOs to not only maintain this tempo but to also ensure that it is sustained, so that criminals will know that Delta state is not safe for them.
He also appreciated members of the public who has been in one way or the other helpful to the police by providing timely and useful information