The Delta State Police Command has arrested a 30-year-old man, Bila Halili, over the abduction of a young girl, Rebecca Mathew, from Niger State.
Police spokesman Bright Edafe, in a statement on Monday in Asaba, said Halili was arrested following an intelligence-led operation carried out by operatives of Agbor Division, led by Divisional Police Officer CSP Obekpa Michael.
“Acting on credible intelligence regarding a suspect who forcefully abducted girls from the North and kept them in his house against their will, the DPO and his team, supported by members of the local vigilante, traced the suspect to Oza Nogogo community where they raided his premises,” Edafe explained.
He added that Halili was found with Rebecca, who was kidnapped on September 11, 2025. The victim, identified as a native of Bodinga community in Washegu Local Government Area of Niger State, was rescued during the operation.
“Upon careful examination, it was discovered that the victim had been hypnotized. She revealed that the suspect lured her out of her family home, destroyed her SIM card to make her unreachable, and took her away,” Edafe stated.
Further investigation linked the matter to the victim’s mother, Esther Moses, who confirmed that Rebecca had been declared missing since September 2, 2025, and that a complaint had already been lodged with the Niger State Police Command.
Meanwhile, in a separate operation, the Delta Police Command announced the arrest of 27 armed robbery suspects and the recovery of weapons.
Edafe disclosed that operatives of the Eagle Net Special Squad, working in synergy with the Nigeria Hunters Forest Security Service, raided a criminal hideout at Basket Market, along the Asaba–Benin road at Uromi Junction.
“During the operation, 27 adult suspects were apprehended. A locally fabricated firearm and large quantities of illicit drugs were recovered,” he said, adding that preliminary investigations showed the suspects used the hideout as a base to plan and rehearse criminal activities.
The command urged residents to support security agencies by providing credible information that could aid crime prevention and control, noting that “security is everybody’s business.”
