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The police in Delta State have foiled a planned kidnapping targeting a pastor and a retired school principal in the Ughelli area of the state.
The police spokesman in Delta, Bright Edafe, disclosed this in a statement forwarded to PREMIUM TIMES on Wednesday, saying the operations were part of the police’s sustained crackdown on violent crime.
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Kidnap plot foiled
According to Mr Edafe, operatives of the ‘A’ Division, Ughelli, acted on credible intelligence on 31 July after receiving information that Jeremiah Kwane, 26, allegedly attempted to recruit another person into a kidnapping syndicate to abduct a pastor and a retired school principal in Ughelli.
The police said the suspect was arrested at his duty post before the alleged plan could be executed.
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A search conducted during the operation led to the recovery of one single-barrel gun and two live cartridges, while the suspect is undergoing further investigation.
Armed robbery suspects intercepted
In a separate operation on Tuesday, operatives of the Ebrumede Division conducting stop-and-search duty along Garki-Uti Road in Effurun intercepted three suspected armed robbers.
The police arrested Benjamin Haruna, 28, while two other suspects, identified only as Omelo and Alabanco, allegedly fled the scene on a motorcycle.
Mr Edafe said a search of the suspects’ bag yielded two locally made double-barrel guns, 11 live cartridges, one expended cartridge, an axe, two Android phones, two power banks, two wristwatches, one lighter and a camouflage military polo.
He said preliminary investigations indicated that the suspects were transporting the items to their hideout along Sapele Road.
READ ALSO: “Banditry, kidnappings are driving filmmakers away from epic movies” — Ibrahim Chatta
The arrested suspect remains in police custody, while efforts are ongoing to arrest the fleeing suspects.
Police reaffirm commitment
Reacting to the operations, the Commissioner of Police in Delta, Yemi Oyeniyi, reaffirmed the command’s resolve to tackle violent crimes.
He said the command would “relentlessly pursue kidnappers, armed robbers and other violent criminals,” while urging residents to continue supporting the police with “timely and credible information to enhance the safety and security of all.”
The latest arrests come weeks after the command announced separate operations that led to the arrest of suspected armed robbers, cultists and alleged gunrunners, with the recovery of illegal firearms across Delta State, underscoring its continued intelligence-led campaign against violent crimes
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