The Delta State Police Command has rescued a kidnapped woman and arrested two suspected drug dealers in separate coordinated operations across the state.
In a statement released on Tuesday by the Command’s spokesperson, Bright Edafe, the two incidents occurred on Saturday in Ovian Aladja and Effurun GRA, respectively.
According to the police, officers from the Ovian Aladja Division swung into action after receiving a distress call from a man who reported that his wife had been abducted by armed men in the early hours of the day.
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The victim’s husband, whose name was not disclosed, told officers that the attack took place around 2 a.m. when the family was asleep. The assailants reportedly broke into their home, carted away valuables, and took his wife captive.
“The DPO, CSP Friday Ekundayo, in a swift response, mobilised and led operatives of the division and went after the kidnappers with a view to ensuring that the woman is rescued unhurt and the suspects arrested,” the command said.
The police team reportedly tracked the abductors into a nearby forest in the Iyara community, where the kidnappers released their victim after coming under pressure from the pursuing officers.
“Following unrelenting effort from the DPO and his men, the kidnappers were forced to abandon the victim and escape.
“The victim was rescued unhurt and has since been reunited with her family, while manhunt for the fleeing suspects is ongoing,” Edafe added.
In a separate operation carried out the same day, the Command’s Crack Squad in Asaba raided a suspected drug base in Effurun GRA, Uvwie Local Government Area, arresting two men.
The suspects, identified as 33-year-old Igwe Samson and 39-year-old Abalum Sunday, were apprehended at about 5 a.m. after credible intelligence linked them to the sale and distribution of narcotics.
During the operation, police officers intercepted a Sienna vehicle allegedly used for transporting banned substances and recovered a large quantity of drugs from it.
Edafe said the seized items included 450 bottles of codeine syrup, 188 bottles of barcadine, 208 sachets of tramadol 100mg, 300 sachets of swinol, 100 sachets of tramadol 500mg, 50 sachets of rophynol, and a large bag of cannabis.
The command stated that the raid was part of ongoing efforts to combat the illegal drug trade, which it linked to rising crime and drug abuse among youths in the region.
“Preliminary investigation revealed that the suspect has been in the business for about two years, and usually buys the drug at Onitsha and prefers to travel at night so that he will not be caught easily,” the command disclosed.
Edafe further noted that efforts are being intensified to apprehend the suspects’ suppliers and dismantle the network of drug traffickers in the state.
Delta State Commissioner of Police, Olufemi Abaniwonda, commended the DPO and his men for their quick response and professionalism, noting that their actions prevented what could have been a tragic outcome.
He assured residents that the police command remains resolute in its mission to rid Delta communities of crime, warning that security operatives will continue to pursue kidnappers, drug dealers, and other offenders across the state.
Abaniwonda also praised the Crack Squad for their intelligence-driven operation, describing drug peddling and abuse as a major factor fueling criminal activity in society.
