The long arm of the law has caught up with some suspected cultists, armed robbers and murderers, as Delta State Police Command has arrested a total of 20 suspects for various crimes.
The Commissioner of Police, Ari Mohammed Ali disclosed this on Tuesday, August 17, 2021, during a press briefing at the police headquarters in Asaba.
According to the police commissioner, on August 15, at about 0230hrs, while acting on credible information received concerning a group of suspected armed robbers/kidnappers, the Special Anti-Cult unit (SACU) of the command went to the criminal hideout at Ogorode Sapele.
During the operation, they arrested five suspects whose names were given as Nelson Ofurhie, aged 40; Efe Adams, aged 32; Williams Onufuevue, 46; Enajitu Itiefie, 37; and Oghenero Eruteta, 37.
Recovered from them were an AK-47 rifle with breech no. KT1921, a locally-fabricated AK-47 rifle, two pump-action gun, two locally-made single barrel gun, 47 rounds of 7.62mm live ammunition, a quantity of hard drugs, an ash colour Mercedes Benz SUV with registration number AFZ 735 HW, a white colour Lexus SUV with registration number KUJ 983 NW and an ash colour Toyota Corolla car with registration number SAP 911 MX.
Also, on Saturday, August 14, at about 11pm, CP Ali said that police operatives learnt through credible intelligence gathering that a Toyota Sienna Sedan car with registration number AJL 330 PC, silver colour, was removed from where it was parked at Amichi in Anambra State and was heading towards Asaba.
He stated further that the Divisional Police Officer of ‘A’ Division, Asaba and some police operatives on intelligence-led operation located the vehicle at Elemedo Hotel Bonsac Asaba and apprehended three suspects identified as Oyinaya Augustine (48), Bishop Ifeanyi Eneh of Ikotun Egbe, Lagos State and Lilian Eze (27) were arrested.
The suspect was said to be a serial car snatcher who was arrested in November 2010 and charged to court in Anambra State. According to the police boss, he had been in car snatching operation for the past 20 years. He added that the second suspect, Bishop, had always been his lawyer who uses human rights to stop law enforcement agencies from arresting and prosecuting the suspect. “He was to take the vehicle to Lagos but luck ran out on him this time, as he was caught in the act,” Ali said.
In addition, 12 suspects, who were alleged of killing one Ifeanyi Umeadi sometime in July at Ogbeofu quarters in Ogwashi Uku, were arrested by command.
The Commissioner of Police disclosed that on August 14, at about 8:45pm, a combined team comprising of all tactical squads, Ogwashi-Uku patrol teams and vigilante raided Agidiese Quarters where 12 suspected cultists were picked. Among those arrested were Chiedu Ewuzie, Bright Ushiagwu a.k.a Small, and Nnamdi Okocha, a dreaded arrowhead of a cult group.
He explained further that they had been on the run after they allegedly murdered the victim before their arrests, adding that nine of them had been charged to court, while the other three murder suspects were still undergoing investigation.
Further in his remarks, the Commissioner of Police said the command under his watch had been working 24/7, with a view to seeing that the state would be s safe for all.
He said he had to deploy tactical teams to the affected areas and other part of the state as a result of the menace caused by cultists in Sapele and Ogwashi-Uku axis, in order to restore peace in the affected areas.
Saying that further investigations would be carried out on the suspects and they would be arraigned in court after the conclusion, Ali reiterated the command’s resolve to continue to sustain the tempo of its success and ensure that cultists and other miscreants would not have freedom to operate again in the state.
