Four suspected kidnappers have been gunned down by the Delta State Police Command during a sting operation targeting criminals terrorising the Ogwashi-Uku and Ubulu-Uku areas.
Spokesman of the command, SP Bright Edafe, disclosed this in a statement shared on Saturday in Asaba, the state capital.
Edafe noted that the breakthrough followed the abduction of a medical doctor and his driver in Issele-Uku on April 6. The victims were released a day later after the kidnappers reportedly collected N15 million ransom.
Following the incident, the Commissioner of Police, CP Olufemi Abaniwonda, ordered a special intelligence-driven operation to apprehend the culprits.
Acting on the directive, operatives of the CP’s Special Assignment Team, led by ASP Julius Robinson, arrested gang leader Abubakar Usman, popularly known as “Shehu,” on Friday.
The suspect allegedly confessed to being behind multiple kidnappings across Ogwashi-Uku, Ibusa, Ubulu-Uku, and nearby communities. He also admitted to the abduction and killing of a realtor, Esther Ojoh, whose body was discovered on March 25, 2025, and the murder of Godwin Anuka, whose wife and daughter were later kidnapped.
Edafe said Shehu led operatives to a forest hideout along the Asaba/Agbor Expressway between Okpanam and Issele-Asagba. However, on arrival, he alerted his gang and attempted to escape, prompting a gun battle.
Four suspects, including Shehu, sustained gunshot wounds in the exchange and were taken to the General Hospital in Ogwashi-Uku, where doctors confirmed them dead.
Three AK-47 rifles and 90 rounds of live ammunition were recovered from the scene.
The police have reaffirmed their commitment to flushing out criminal elements and restoring peace in the state.
