POLICE operatives in Delta State have neutralized five suspected kidnappers and recovered several weapons during a recent operation.
According to a statement by the spokesperson for the Delta State Police Command, Bright Edafe, the operation was carried out following intelligence reports about the activities of a kidnapping gang operating across several communities in the oil-rich state.
“On April 21, 2025, officers from the CP-Special Assignment Team, acting on intelligence regarding kidnapping incidents in Ubulu-Uku, Issele-Uku, Issele-Asagba, and surrounding areas involving one Bello Abubakar and his gang, stormed a hideout located in Agu-Amawbia forest, Anambra State,” the statement, released yesterday, read.
During the raid, officers recovered an AK-47 rifle and 132 rounds of live ammunition.
Further investigation led them to another hideout in a forest between Issele-Asagba and Utulu, where Bello Abubakar and his gang were lying in ambush.
“The suspects engaged the police operatives in a fierce gunfight. However, the operatives, anticipating resistance, returned fire effectively. Overpowered by the police’s firepower, the suspects fled in various directions with gunshot wounds,” Edafe stated.
He added that five of the suspects, including Bello Abubakar, were apprehended but later died at the hospital due to the severity of their injuries. Two additional AK-47 rifles and eighteen rounds of 7.62mm ammunition were recovered during the operation and a manhunt for the remaining injured suspects is still ongoing.
Kidnappings for ransom are a persistent issue in Nigeria.
With recent data from Nigerian consultancy SBM Intelligence indicating that 4,777 abductions were recorded nationwide between President Bola Tinubu’s inauguration in May 2023 and January 2024, although comprehensive national figures remain scarce.
