Delta Police Rescue Kidnap Victim, Arrest 27 Suspects in Separate Raids

By Mercy Akossun

The Delta State Police Command says it has rescued a kidnapped girl and arrested several suspects, including an alleged kidnapper and 27 people linked to armed robbery and drug offences, in separate operations across the state.

Police said the first breakthrough came after intelligence revealed the whereabouts of a suspected kidnapper who had allegedly abducted girls from the North. The Divisional Police Officer of Agbor Division, CSP Obekpa Michael, led his team to Oza Nogogo community, where they raided the premises of 30-year-old Bila Halili from Sokoto State.

Halili was found with a teenager later identified as Rebecca Mathew, who had been reported missing since September 2 in Niger State. Rebecca, from Bodinga community in Washegu Local Government Area, told officers she was lured from her home, hypnotised, and cut off from her family after Halili destroyed her SIM card. Police confirmed that her mother had earlier filed a missing person report in Niger State. She has since been reunited with her family while investigations continue.

In another operation, operatives of the Eagle Net Special Squad, working with the Nigeria Hunters Forest Security Service, stormed a hideout near Basket Market along the Asaba–Benin Road at Uromi Junction on September 9. The raid, based on intelligence, led to the arrest of 27 adult suspects. Officers recovered a locally fabricated cut-to-size gun as well as a large stash of illicit drugs.

Preliminary findings suggest the suspects were using the hideout as a base to plan and practice criminal operations. The police say all those arrested remain in custody and will face further investigation.

Commissioner of Police Olufemi Abaniwonda commended the operatives for their swift action, stressing that community support and intelligence remain vital in the fight against crime. “Security is everybody’s business,” he said, urging residents of Delta State to provide credible information to law enforcement agencies.

The command reiterated its commitment to proactive policing to ensure the safety of lives and property across the state.