Five suspected kidnappers have died following a gunfight with operatives of the CP Special Assignment Team (CP SAT) in Delta State, while three others have been arrested.
The suspects sustained gunshot wounds during the confrontation and later died in the hospital while receiving treatment.
According to the Delta State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Bright Edafe, the operation was part of an intelligence-led crackdown on kidnapping and related crimes in Ughelli North LGA and surrounding areas.
He revealed that on March 21, 2025, at around 11:00 p.m., police operatives, acting on credible intelligence, tracked and arrested a suspected kidnapping kingpin, Adamu Abubakar, alias “Dogo,” at DSC Roundabout, Warri.
Further interrogation of the suspect led to the arrest of two accomplices, Abubakar Mohammed, also known as “Chede,” and Mohammed Bellow, at Otovwodo Park in Ughelli North LGA.
Preliminary investigations linked the suspects to multiple cases of kidnapping and armed robbery in Iyamuge, Otu-Jeremi, Warri, Ughelli, and nearby communities.
Following their confessions, the suspects led the police to their hideout in Iyamugo Forest, where officers recovered an arsenal of weapons, including an AK-47 rifle, a pump-action gun, three locally made guns, two magazines, sixty rounds of AK-47 ammunition, and seventeen live cartridges.
However, as the operatives exited the forest, they were ambushed by suspected gang members, leading to a fierce exchange of gunfire. Five of the attackers were shot and later died in the hospital, while others managed to escape.
SP Edafe confirmed that the three arrested suspects remain in custody along with the recovered weapons as investigations continue.
