Matilda Omonaiye/
The police in Delta have recorded major breakthroughs in their crackdown on kidnapping, cultism, and violent crime, rescuing a three-year-old kidnapped girl, arresting a suspected cultist, and recovering two firearms, including a Beretta pistol.
The operations, carried out by different tactical units of the Delta State Police Command, also led to the recovery of part of a ransom allegedly paid for the release of the abducted child.
According to the Police Public Relations Officer of the Command, SP Bright Edafe, operatives of the Command Anti-Vice Squad (CAVS), Sector 2, Ughelli, rescued the child after arresting one Kelvin Ogaga, a commercial motorcyclist accused of abducting the victim.
Police said the suspect had been entrusted with taking the three-year-old girl to school daily before allegedly turning against the family and kidnapping the child.
The victim’s father reportedly lodged a complaint with the police on May 18, 2026, after the suspect allegedly demanded a ransom of ₦500,000 for the child’s release.
Investigations revealed that the family eventually paid the ransom after negotiations to secure the safe return of the child.
Acting on what the police described as “credible technical intelligence,” operatives stormed the suspect’s hideout in Ughelli and arrested him.
Police recovered ₦127,000 believed to be part of the ransom money, alongside valuables allegedly bought with proceeds of the crime and the motorcycle allegedly used in carrying out the abduction.
The suspect is currently in custody while investigations continue.
In another operation, officers attached to the Department of Operations Buffalo Team reportedly recovered a Beretta pistol during a stop-and-search patrol around the Power Line axis by Bonsaac.
Police said the patrol team spotted a suspicious man carrying a black bag. The suspect reportedly fled on sighting the operatives and abandoned the bag while escaping.
A search of the bag led to the recovery of the Beretta pistol and an iPhone. Police said efforts were ongoing to track down the fleeing suspect and unravel the circumstances surrounding the firearm recovery.
Meanwhile, operatives of Ozoro Division also arrested a suspected cultist identified as Michael Monday during a township patrol along Omovutotu Street, Ozoro.
The suspect allegedly attempted to escape after sighting the police patrol team, but was apprehended.
A search conducted on a black handbag in his possession reportedly led to the recovery of a locally made cut-to-size single-barrelled gun and one live cartridge.
Preliminary investigation, according to the police, linked the suspect to the notorious Supreme Vikings Confraternity, popularly known as “Aro Bagger.”
The Commissioner of Police, Delta State Command, Yemi Oyeniyi, commended the operatives for their swift response and professionalism.
He reiterated the Command’s commitment to proactive policing and crime prevention, stressing that stop-and-search operations had continued to yield positive results in the recovery of illegal firearms and the arrest of criminal suspects.
The police boss also urged residents to promptly report suspicious movements and persons within their communities to security agencies.
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