The Delta State Police Command has announced the dismantling of a cross-border illegal firearms syndicate following coordinated intelligence-led operations that led to the arrest of four suspects across Bayelsa and Imo States.

The development was disclosed on Monday by Commissioner of Police, CP Yemi Oyeniyi during a briefing in Asaba, where he outlined recent breakthroughs in the command’s anti-crime operations.

The suspects were identified as Emmanuel Chukwuemeka, Clifford Boleyelefa, Amadi Princewill, and Amadi Felix Chibuike. Police said preliminary investigations linked all four to the outlawed Black Axe confraternity.

According to the police briefing, the investigation began on May 1, 2026, after operatives recovered a Beretta pistol at a motor park in Effurun, located in Uvwie Local Government Area.

A follow-up intelligence operation led officers to Bayelsa State, where Emmanuel Chukwuemeka was arrested on May 4 alongside his roommate, whose phone was allegedly used in negotiating arms transactions.

Chukwuemeka reportedly confessed to purchasing the firearm from a supplier in Imo State for ₦290,000 before reselling it for ₦380,000 to a middleman identified as “Desmond,” who remains at large.

Police said Desmond allegedly transported the weapon through a waybill arrangement to Effurun, where it was later linked to Oghenemine Ogidi, an accomplice who was tasked with delivering the firearm to Sapele.

Following the confession, operatives extended the investigation to the South-East. On May 15, Amadi Princewill was arrested in Owerri.

Princewill allegedly admitted to supplying the weapon to Chukwuemeka for ₦200,000, leading investigators to a deeper layer of the network. Acting on this lead, police arrested Amadi Felix Chibuike in Owerri on May 16, identifying him as the primary supplier in the chain.

The police command confirmed that efforts are ongoing to apprehend Desmond and other fleeing members of the syndicate.

CP Oyeniyi reiterated that all suspects will be charged to court upon completion of investigations, stressing the command’s commitment to tackling illegal arms trafficking, cult-related activities, and violent crime across the state.