The Delta State Police Command has rescued a 23-year-old kidnap victim, arrested eight suspects and recovered three firearms, 26 live cartridges and substances suspected to be Indian hemp in separate operations between October 20 and 23, 2026.
Police spokesman, SP Bright Edafe, said the operations targeted kidnapping, cultism and other violent crimes.
He said operatives of the Owa-Oyibu Division, working with local volunteers, rescued the victim on October 20, a day after two suspected kidnappers allegedly abducted him at Owa-Alero.
According to Edafe, the victim was seized in front of his residence and dragged into a nearby bush. Police launched a search after receiving a report from his brother and rescued him the following day.
Efforts were ongoing to arrest the fleeing suspects, he said.
In a separate operation on October 23, operatives of the Violent Crime Response Unit raided a hotel in Abraka suspected of being used for drug-related activities.
The operation resulted in the arrest of six suspected cultists and the recovery of a bag containing a firearm and substances suspected to be Indian hemp. Some individuals reportedly fled when the police arrived.
Edafe said investigations were ongoing to establish the firearm’s ownership and identify other suspects.
In a related development, the Ogun State Police Command has arrested a principal suspect in the murder of a 61-year-old retired teacher, Adedotun Adeteju Oluwaseun, who was killed at her residence in Bode-Olude, Abeokuta, on February 27, 2026.
The suspect, Alhaji Saburi Lateef Ayinde, popularly known as “OKI-OCEAN,” was arrested on October 19 following sustained investigations by detectives after the case was transferred to the Homicide Section of the State Criminal Investigation Department, Eleweran, Abeokuta.
The deceased’s body was discovered in the toilet of her residence on February 28, a day after she reportedly returned from a retirement celebration organised by colleagues.
Preliminary investigations indicated that she was allegedly strangled and attacked with a machete during an altercation with the suspect.
According to the police, Ayinde reportedly confessed to the killing and linked it to financial dealings with the deceased.
He allegedly claimed that he had entrusted N3.45 million to her for safekeeping, under an arrangement in which she would lend him N1.5 million to purchase another vehicle.
Detectives are working to corroborate his account and establish the full circumstances surrounding the murder.
In a statement, the Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Oluseyi Babaseyi, said the Commissioner of Police, Bode Ojajuni, commended the investigators for their persistence and professionalism.