The Delta State Police Command has arrested 16 suspects and recovered two firearms, a stolen Toyota Camry and quantities of suspected illicit drugs in separate operations across the state.
The command said the operations also disrupted a suspected cult gathering, foiled an alleged extortion attempt at a construction site and led to the arrest of suspects linked to illicit drug activities.
The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, SP Bright Edafe, disclosed this in a statement issued on Thursday.
According to Edafe, operatives of the Command Anti-Cult Unit, Ozoro, arrested eight suspects during a raid on a suspected cult gathering in Aragba-Orogun.
He said the operation followed credible intelligence about a planned cult meeting in the area.
The suspects were identified as Godspower Achubue, 27; Ziden Edem, 27; Kingsley Aniefem, 36; Omita John, 22; Onumu Happy, 22; Kenneth Ukpurakpo, 22; Juliet Festus, 26; and Oghenegueke Okuanah, 22.
The police said a search warrant was later executed at the residence of one of the suspects, where operatives recovered a pump-action gun and one live cartridge.
In a separate operation, operatives of the Okpanam Division arrested 30-year-old Collins Dunkun following a report of an alleged extortion attempt at a construction site on September 8.
The command alleged that the suspects invaded the site, stopped workers, seized their tools and demanded N700,000 before allowing construction work to continue.
While six other suspects reportedly fled the scene, police said a search of Dunkun led to the recovery of a locally made single-barrel pistol and one cartridge.
The command said efforts were ongoing to apprehend the fleeing suspects.
Also on September 8, operatives of the Divisional Surveillance Team raided an uncompleted building at King Zanga, Ugbuegwai Community, Warri, following intelligence about suspected illicit drug activities.
Five suspects were arrested during the operation. They were identified as Rabi’u Salihu, 26; Salisu Suleiman, 23; Rabilu Ali, 24; Alhassan Mohd Mansur, 28; and Aliyu Abubakar, 25.
The police said substances suspected to be Indian hemp, Codeine, Colorado, Rizla, SK and Canadian Loud were recovered from the building.
Meanwhile, two other suspects, Destiny Suleman, 41, and Samuel Ejiro, 21, were arrested in Ekpan, where police also recovered a stolen Toyota Camry.
The command said the brown Toyota Camry Pencil Light, with registration number BEN-572BT, was stolen in Benin City on September 7.
According to the police, operatives of the Ekpan Division launched an intelligence-led investigation after the vehicle was reported stolen and subsequently traced it to the New Era area of Jakpa Road, Ekpan.
The operatives reportedly laid an ambush at the location and arrested the two suspects.
The Commissioner of Police in Delta State, CP Samuel E. Erale, warned that the command would not tolerate cultism, unlawful possession of firearms, extortion, illicit drug activities or other forms of criminality.
Erale said the command would continue to take proactive measures to prevent crime, dismantle criminal networks and bring offenders to justice.
The police said all the suspects remain in custody while investigations into the various cases continue.
