Kidnap victim rescued alive as police recover three locally made pistols and suspected illicit drugs in separate operation
The Delta State Police Command has launched a fresh manhunt for suspected kidnappers who abducted a woman at the entrance of her residence in Sapele, while eight other suspects have been arrested in Abraka in connection with an ongoing investigation into attempted murder and other criminal activities.
The two operations, according to the Police, represent fresh efforts by the Command to take the fight against kidnapping, violent crime, cult-related activities and the circulation of illegal firearms directly to criminal hideouts across Delta State.
The Sapele incident happened at about 7:45 p.m. on September 2, 2026, when the woman was reportedly ambushed by armed men at the entrance of her residence along Eko Amukpe Road.
The victim was said to be attempting to drive into her compound when the attackers suddenly appeared.
According to the Police, the armed men fired several shots into the air before forcing the woman out of the situation and taking her into a nearby bush.
The incident immediately triggered a distress response from the Sapele Police Division.
The Divisional Police Officer moved patrol and surveillance teams to the area, where officers reportedly recovered expended ammunition shells believed to have been fired from an AK-47 rifle.
Rather than allowing the incident to end with the victim being taken away, the police and supporting local vigilantes began searching the surrounding bushes.
The search continued through the night.
For the victim and her family, the hours that followed were clearly a desperate period, with the police under pressure to locate her before the kidnappers could move her to another location.
But according to the Command, the sustained operation gradually increased pressure on the abductors.
By the morning of September 3, the kidnappers reportedly abandoned the woman and fled from the area.
Police operatives later located the victim and rescued her alive.
The Command said she was not injured and was subsequently reunited with her family.
The successful rescue has provided some relief to the victim’s relatives, but the Police have made it clear that the operation will not end with the rescue.
The suspected kidnappers are still at large and the Command said efforts have been intensified to identify, track and arrest them.
The use of firearms during the attack has also raised concern because the Police recovered spent AK-47 ammunition shells from the scene.
The development once again shows the level of danger facing residents in some communities, where armed criminals can reportedly attack people close to their homes and attempt to disappear into surrounding bushes.
For the Police, the immediate priority is now to establish the identity of the gang members, trace their movement and bring them before the law.
The Command has also continued to rely on local vigilantes and community members in responding to criminal incidents, particularly in areas where thick vegetation and rural surroundings can provide hiding places for kidnappers.
The Sapele rescue came as the Command recorded another significant operation in Abraka.
In the second operation, operatives of the Delta State Police Command’s Violent Crime Response Unit, known as VCRU, moved into identified criminal black spots in Abraka following credible intelligence.
The operation was linked to an ongoing investigation into an attempted murder reported on September 3.
Police said intelligence gathered during the investigation led operatives to locations suspected to be used by criminal elements.
The operation resulted in the arrest of eight suspects.
They were identified by the Police as Evans Adamda, Mamatime Micheal, Wale Morakinya, Anabono, Godspower, Theophilus Philip, Robinson Oghenewiro and Inoni Ejiroghene.
Three locally made pistols were reportedly recovered during the operation.
Police also recovered Tramadol and other substances suspected to be illicit drugs.
The arrests and recovery of firearms have now placed the eight suspects at the centre of the ongoing investigation.
However, the Police have not declared the suspects guilty of the alleged offences.
Investigators are expected to establish what roles, if any, each suspect played in the attempted murder case and whether they are connected to other criminal activities in Abraka and surrounding communities.
The recovery of three locally made pistols is particularly important to investigators because illegal firearms can increase the ability of criminal groups to carry out attacks, intimidation, cult activities and other violent offences.
The Police are therefore expected to investigate how the weapons came into the possession of the suspects, where they were obtained and whether they were used in previous crimes.
The suspected drugs recovered during the operation are also expected to form part of the investigation.
The latest development comes at a time when security agencies across Delta State are under increasing pressure to confront kidnapping, armed robbery, cult violence, drug-related crime and other threats to public safety.
For communities such as Sapele and Abraka, the concern is not simply about arrests or police statements.
Residents want to know whether criminal gangs can be prevented from returning to the same areas after police operations have ended.
That is why intelligence gathering, community cooperation and sustained police presence remain critical.
A one-day operation may produce arrests and weapons, but lasting security requires continued monitoring of criminal locations and quick response when suspicious activities are reported.
The Delta State Police Command said it remains committed to this approach.
Commissioner of Police, Delta State Command, CP Samuel E. Erale, commended the officers who participated in both operations.
He also praised the local vigilantes who supported the search for the kidnapped woman in Sapele.
The Commissioner said the Command would continue to use intelligence-led operations against kidnappers, cultists and other criminal elements operating across the state.
He also assured residents that police operatives would continue to identify criminal hideouts, arrest suspects and recover illegal weapons.
But the Commissioner’s message also places responsibility on members of the public.
Residents are being urged to provide useful information to the Police when they notice suspicious movements, strange persons, criminal hideouts or activities that could threaten their communities.
The importance of such information was demonstrated in the Abraka operation, where the Police said credible intelligence helped the VCRU identify and raid suspected criminal black spots.
In the Sapele case, the rapid response and overnight search also showed how early police intervention can make a difference in a kidnapping situation.
The rescue of the woman without injury is therefore a major development for the Command, but it does not erase the seriousness of the original attack.
An armed group was able to approach a resident at her own home, fire shots and take her away.
That is a serious security concern.
The fact that the suspects abandoned the victim after sustained pressure from the security team may also offer investigators an opportunity to study the gang’s movement, escape route and possible links within the area.
Investigators are expected to examine the recovered ammunition shells, intelligence from the area and information gathered during the search in an effort to identify the attackers.
Similarly, the eight suspects arrested in Abraka will face detailed questioning as investigators work to determine whether they acted individually or as part of a wider criminal network.
The recovery of three locally made pistols could also help investigators establish whether the suspects are linked to other cases involving shootings or violent attacks.
For now, the Delta Police Command has two clear tasks: bring the Sapele kidnappers to justice and establish the full extent of the activities of the eight suspects arrested in Abraka.
The latest operations send a strong message to criminal groups that the Police intend to continue taking operations into areas suspected to be criminal strongholds.
But for the people of Delta State, the real test will be whether these arrests and the rescued victim lead to wider disruption of criminal networks.
The Police have asked residents to remain alert and cooperate with security agencies.
The message from the Command is clear: criminal hideouts will continue to be targeted, illegal weapons will be recovered and suspects will be pursued.
For the victims and communities affected by crime, the expectation is equally clear — that those responsible will not simply disappear into the system, but will be properly investigated and, where evidence supports it, prosecuted according to the law.
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