By Augustine Ehikioya
Police personnel in Delta State have arrested some armed robbery and cultism suspects in the State.
Recoveries from them included gun, pistols, and cartridges.
Reacting to the arrests, Commissioner of Police, CP Abaniwonda Olufemi, urged the youths in the State to shun all forms of crime and stay away from cultism.
The CP, in a statement by Police Public Relations Officer, Delta State Command, SP. Edafe Bright, and made available to Security Watch Africa (SWA), also commended Officers and Men of the command for their steadfastness in “fighting crime and urges other officers to emulate the same.”
He noted that it is “our collective responsibility to flush out criminals from the State in other to guarantee the safety of residents in the State.”
Stressing that youth involvement in cult-related activities is alarming and has negative consequences for the security of the State and that the command will not fold its hands and allow lawlessness in the State.
He assured residents that the command will continue to identify, arrest, and prosecute suspects arrested until Delta State is free from all forms of criminality.
Giving details of the arrest, the statement said “Acting on revelations by some of the suspects arrested in connection to kidnapping and cultism by the command’s Special Squad deployed to Ughelli, on 24/05/2024 at about 1635hrs, the special team led by ASP Julius Robinson trailed and arrested one Emmanuel John Aisewowhion ‘m’ a.k.a “Small Juju“ aged 34yrs, a native of Ewohimi community in Esan-South East Local Government Area (LGA) of Edo State, but resident at Uwagba Community in Okpe LGA, Delta State.
“One Beretta pistol was recovered from his house and investigation further revealed that he is a member of Eiye confraternity and he got the gun from one Goodluck Sakutu, a suspected gun runner already in custody. Serious efforts to arrest other members of his gang are ongoing” it stated.
On the second case, it said “Sequel to series of reported cases of cultism and gun-running in Ughellli/Warri/Sapele/Oghara and environs, operatives on special assignment in Ughelli in line with the directive of the Commissioner of Police, Delta State, CP Abaniwonda Olufemi, embarked on an intelligence-driven policing, stormed Oghara town and arrested one notorious cultist identified as Philips Omomedia “m” aged 37 yrs of Onogo-Vor community of Oghara in Ethiope West LGA, Delta State.
“Preliminary investigations revealed that the suspect who is a member of Aro-Bangar confraternity and suspected to be involved in a series of cult-related killings was arrested and one Automatic Double Barrel gun with fifteen (15) live cartridges was recovered from him. Investigation is ongoing.”
Shedding light on the last case, the statement said “On 26/05/2024 at about 1700hrs a combined patrol team of Policemen of the division & federal hunters who were deployed on a crime prevention patrol while on stop and search duty along Oputu road, Orhowurun community in Udu LGA, flagged down a motorcyclist carrying one passenger for a routine search.
“The suspect refused to stop and the team chased them, during the chase one of the suspects Christopher Semede ‘m’ age 33yrs was arrested and one locally made cut-to-size double barrel pistol was recovered from him. A concerted effort to arrest the other fleeing suspect is ongoing.” it said.
