*Recover 32 Assault Guns, 138 Ammunition In Two Months
OPERATIVES of the Delta State Police Command have recovered a Beretta pistol during a raid on the apartment of a suspected kidnapper in Sapele town.
During the operation, a suspect, simply known as Sapiro, was found in possession of the weapon, following credible intelligence, with his gang members, Tony Binitie (29) aka Bobo, Ejiro Ewuba (30) and Ayuba Hussaini (38), who were all arrested, on August 11.
The suspects, according to the state Commissioner of Police, Mr. Olufemi Abaniwonda, who briefed journalists on the development, had confessed to their crimes during interrogation, adding that efforts were ongoing to arrest other members of the gang.
He said that the Police Anti-Crime patrol team of Oghara Division, while on stop and search duty along Otefe Ijomi community road, on August 14, also arrested 22-year-old Ovoke Benedict and Fredrick Urhoborume, 23, for being in possession of firearms.
He disclosed that the Police had intercepted a motorcycle carrying the duo, suspected to be members of a secret cult, an upon a search, one locally made cut-to-size gun, with six live cartridges, was recovered from them.
In an earlier operation on 12th August, operatives of the CP’s Special Squad, while investigating a suspected kidnapper, Joel Ochuko Ofoye, who was earlier arrested on July 18, recovered one Baretta Pistol with four rounds of live ammunition, one pump action with nine rounds of cartridges and one locally fabricated revolver pump action gun.
This was after e recovery Joel, who later lost his life in the operation, led operatives to Ewu community in Ughelli South Local Council on the trail of their armourer.
The Police chief recounted how his men foiled an attempt by suspected kidnappers to invade Delta State Polytechnic, Oghara, during its recent graduation ceremony, when on August 13, acting on credible information, the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in Oghara led operatives to the criminals’ hideout in a bush along Otefe/Ovade Legit Road, where there was an exchange of gunfire.
He said while combing the nearby forest, one AK-47 Riffle, one magazine, one English pump action gun and one locally made cut-to-size gun were recovered.
Abaniwonda disclosed the Police recovered a large cache of weapons, including four AK-47 rifles, 138 ammunition/cartridges, eight pump action guns, 15 cut-to-size guns, and five Beretta pistols between July and September 4, this year, from various operations in the state.
He announced further security measures put in place by the Command to prevent a surge in crime during the ember months, including increased policing and raids on criminal hideouts, calling on the public to promptly report any incidents to the Police.
