Men of the Delta State Police Command, in a decoy operation,
arrested eight members of a kidnapping syndicate operating in Oghara, Sapele,
Warri, and environs.
This was revealed in a statement signed by the command's
Public Relations Officer, DSP Edafe Bright, and posted on its official X handle
on Thursday.
According to the statement, upon receipt of an information
about a 43-year-old woman who was adbducted and paid N2m ransom for her
release, the Commissioner of Police, CP Wale Abass, directed officers in the
decoy squad to utilise all technically generated intelligence to get the
perpetrators.
The statement read, "The command received information
relating to the kidnap of a 43-year-old woman (name withheld), who was
kidnapped by a syndicate of armed men in a tricycle along Shell Road Sapele
on November 19, 2023, at about 2100hrs,
while driving in her ML-350 Mercedez Benz.
"The victim was taken in her vehicle, until the vehicle
ran out of fuel, they moved her into their operational tricycle. She was
released on November 22, 2023 upon payment of N2m ransom.
"The Commissioner of Police, CP Wale Abass,
detailed operatives of CP - Decoy Squad,
led by the commander, ASP Julius Robinson, directing that they utilise all
technically generated intelligence to get the perpetrators of the act.
"Consequently, on November 25, 2023, the team embarked
on a sting operation assisted by the DPO Sapele which led to the arrest of the
syndicate’s gang leader, Morrison
Godwin, a 41-year-old male suspect from Okpara Water Side Community in Ethiope
East LGA of Delta State at Amukpe Area of Sapele Town at about 1100hrs of the same
date.
"The suspect confessed to the crime and revealed an
intended meeting with other gang members on to strategise on another kidnapping
operation.
"Armed with this information, the team laid an ambush at
their meeting point on November 27, 2023 and arrested the other gang members viz:
Raymond Etchie ‘m’ 46yrs who negotiated and received the said ransom; Felix
Okoro ‘m’ 40yrs who is one of the
syndicate’s operational driver; Oghene Ogaga Sylvester ‘m’ 45yrs who guarded
the victim; Henry Edeki ‘m’ 35yrs,
Ominike Sunday ‘m’ 23yrs, Jerusalem Sunday ‘m’ 35yrs, and Theophilus
Akpofi "m" 29yrs."
The statement added that all the suspects confessed to the
crime admitting their various roles and have been identified by the victim.
During interrogation, the suspects further disclosed the
location of the victim’s vehicle which was later recovered at Oghara Town, and
effort is being intensified to recover the syndicate’s operational weapons.
The state Commissioner of Police applauded the decoy
squad for their diligence that resulted in the arrest of the kidnappers.
He also assured the public that more achievements are on the
way, as the command is out to ensure the collective safety of the people of
Delta State.
Credit: X| DeltaPoliceNG
