From ONYEKACHUKWU MELUWA, Warri
Delta State Police Command has rescued a kidnapped girl in Agbor, arrested her suspected abductor and also apprehended 27 suspects in a separate armed robbery and drug raid in Asaba.
The Police Public Relations Officer, SP Edafe Bright, who disclosed this in a statement at the weekend, said the operations underscore the command’s renewed drive against violent crimes under the Commissioner of Police, Olufemi Abaniwonda.
According to the statement, operatives of Agbor Division, led by the Divisional Police Officer, CSP Obekpa Michael, acted on intelligence about a man allegedly keeping abducted girls in his residence.
The team, supported by local vigilantes, raided a premises in Oza Nogogo community where they found the 30-year-old suspect, Bila Halili, with a young girl later identified as Rebecca Matthew, who had been declared missing in Bodinga community in Washegu Local Government Area of Niger State.
Rebecca was reportedly kidnapped on September 11. Police investigations revealed that she had been hypnotised, with her SIM card destroyed to make her unreachable.
Her mother, Esther Moses, confirmed to the police that Rebecca had been missing since September 2 and that a report had already been lodged with the Niger State Command. Police said further investigation into the abduction is ongoing.
In another breakthrough, operatives of Eagle Net Special Squad, led by SP Yunusa Danyaya, in collaboration with Nigeria Hunters Forest Security Service, NHFSS, raided a criminal hideout at Basket Market along Asaba–Benin Road, Uromi Junction.
The raid, carried out on September 9, led to the arrest of 27 suspects, all adults. Police recovered a locally fabricated cut-to-size firearm and large quantities of illicit drugs from the scene.
Preliminary investigations suggest that the suspects had been using the location as a base to plan and execute criminal activities.
Abaniwonda commended the synergy between police operatives and community security groups, stressing that effective policing requires strong public cooperation.
“Security is everybody’s business. We urge members of the public, particularly residents of Delta State, to always provide credible information that can aid the fight against crime,” he stated.
All the suspects are currently in custody as investigations continue.
