In a concerted effort to safeguard the lives of residents in Delta State, the Command successfully apprehended members of a notorious kidnapping syndicate operating in Oghara, Sapele, Warri, and surrounding areas.
According to a statement by the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), DSP Bright Edafe, the breakthrough occurred following the abduction of a 43-year-old woman on November 19, 2023. The victim was seized by armed men in a tricycle along Shell Road, Sapele, while driving her ML-350 Mercedes Benz.
Subsequently, she was held until her vehicle ran out of fuel, after which she was transferred to the syndicate’s operational tricycle. The victim was released on November 22, 2023, upon the payment of a Two Million Naira (#2,000,000) ransom.
Commissioner of Police, CP Wale Abass, directed the CP – DECOY Squad, led by ASP Julius Robinson, to deploy technically generated intelligence to apprehend the perpetrators.
The squad, in collaboration with the DPO Sapele, launched a sting operation on November 25, 2023, resulting in the arrest of the gang leader, Morrison Godwin, a 41-year-old from Okpara Water Side Community in Ethiope East LGA of Delta State.
Godwin confessed to the crime and revealed plans for another kidnapping operation, leading to the arrest of additional gang members during an ambush on their meeting point on November 26, 2023.
The apprehended individuals include Raymond Etchie (46), the negotiator and ransom receiver; Felix Okoro (40), an operational driver; Oghene Ogaga Sylvester (45), the victim’s guard; and Henry Edeki (35). Others arrested are Ominike Sunday (23), Jerusalem Sunday (35), and Theophilus Akpofi (29).
All suspects admitted to their roles in the crime, and their identities were confirmed by the victim. The suspects disclosed the location of the victim’s vehicle, subsequently recovered in Oghara Town. Efforts are underway to retrieve the syndicate’s operational weapons.
Commending the CP – DECOY Squad for their diligence, Commissioner of Police Delta State assured the public of ongoing efforts to ensure the collective safety of Delta State residents.
