Police foil kidnap operation in Delta, rescue three victims

By Nosa Eresoyen, Asaba

The Delta State Police Command, Abraka Division, at the weekend, foiled kidnap operation carried out by a six-man gang, and rescued a lady identified as Oghenevwaire Welfare, Hussein Adamu and Shamsu Shehu along Benin-Abraka road.

The Divisional Police Officer (DPO) at Abraka, CSP Hassan Jimoh, confirmed the incident to our Correspondent on telephone, saying that the kidnap operation which took place in the early hours was foiled by men and officers of the Division. He explained that the kidnappers flagged down a trailer while pretending to be security operatives and dragged the two drivers, Hussein Adamu and Shamsu Shehu into the bush.

“After the first operation, there was another one few hours later as Officers and men of the Police stopped a Ford bus loaded with cassava and, again, took two of the passengers, Oghenevwaire Welfare and Prince Ogheneyoma into the bush,” the DPO said; adding that “while the trailer was supposed to be heading to Kwale to carry goods, the Ford bus was heading to Agbara Otor.”

CSP Hassan Jimoh said he got the news of the kidnap operation when driver of the Ford bus, one Edurance Odiyovwi, narrowly escaped, and, rather than running into hiding in the bush, decided to find his way through the thick forest, got a motorbike and made straight to the Police Division, where he reported the matter.

CSP Hassan Jimoh disclosed that the police operation was led by Supol Iweka Marvellous, the Station Officer, who moved into the scene of the incident and they were able to recover the trailer and Ford bus. He added that “the operation was a 30-man team made up of Abraka Police Division Patrol team, SARS Operatives, local vigilantes and hunters to the bush with the help of the Prince to the spot where they were initially kept, but discovered that the kidnappers had changed location.”

The Police were able to trace the movement of the kidnappers in the bush through their footprint and eventually located them in the deep forest, but a gun battle between the Police and the kidnappers ensued that left the six-man gang comprising six Fulani men and an Urhobo indigene, who escaped with some of them sustaining gunshot injuries.

Sources said that the Police were careful not to hit any of the kidnapped victims, adding that the kidnappers had in their possession four AK47s as the three persons in the kidnappers’ den were rescued unhurt. The police found the phones of the kidnappers which are currently in their custody.