Police raid suspected Delta crime den, arrest five

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The Delta State Police Command has arrested five suspects and recovered four locally made single-barrelled guns, three vehicles, three motorcycles and several items suspected to have been stolen in separate operations across the state.

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The operations, conducted on September 19, 2026, in Orerokpe, Ekpan and Agbor, also led to the recovery of a live cartridge, 22 air-conditioners, 13 washing machines, 29 motorcycle and tricycle engines, musical equipment, television sets, a generator, a laptop and other suspected stolen items.

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The command’s Public Relations Officer, Bright Edafe, disclosed this in a statement on Tuesday.

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Edafe said operatives of the Orerokpe Division, working with members of the Civilian Anti-Cult group in Osubi, intercepted two Toyota Sienna vehicles loaded with musical equipment along the Warri-Sapele Road.

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He said the occupants fled on sighting the police, but one of them, 45-year-old Lawrence Onowenakpo, was arrested.

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“A search of the vehicles led to the recovery of three locally made single-barrelled long guns and one live cartridge,” the statement said.

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According to Edafe, Onowenakpo, during preliminary interrogation, allegedly identified Ajeh Zephaniah, aka Fanta, as the gang leader.

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He said Zephaniah had previously been arrested and arraigned for armed robbery before being granted bail on health grounds.

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Edafe said further investigation led the joint team to a scrap yard in Warri, suspected to be the gang’s operational base, where the operatives recovered three motorcycles, 22 air-conditioners, 13 washing machines, 29 motorcycle and tricycle engines, musical equipment, television sets, a generator, a laptop and other suspected stolen items.

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“Preliminary investigation links the gang to recent armed robberies within the Kwale and Warri axes,” Edafe said.

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He added that efforts were ongoing to arrest Zephaniah and other members of the group who remained at large.

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In a separate operation in Ekpan, Edafe said operatives responded to a distress call at about 6:40pm on the same day over a man allegedly threatening people around the Scrap Yard axis of the Effurun-Sapele Road.

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He said the operatives arrested 23-year-old Meshach Onovoisa and recovered a locally made single-barrelled gun from him.

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“During preliminary investigation, the suspect allegedly admitted that he is an armed robber,” the statement added.

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Edafe further said operatives of the Agbor Division, acting on credible intelligence, arrested three men identified as Agbaja Promise, 20; Emmanuel Ovieh, 25; and Odiri Dama, 25, all from Benin City, Edo State.

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He said the suspects were allegedly arrested while attempting to dispose of a Hijet minibus with registration number BEN-485-XH for N300,000 without producing documents for the vehicle.

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“The vehicle was recovered, while its rightful owner was subsequently identified and contacted,” the statement stated.

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Edafe said the Commissioner of Police, CP Samuel Erale, commended the operatives and members of the public whose cooperation contributed to the operations.

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He added that the CP reiterated the command’s resolve to dismantle criminal networks across the state and urged residents to continue providing the police with credible and timely information.

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