Police kill two suspected kidnappers, recover arms, ammunition

The police in Delta State, South-south Nigeria, said they have killed two suspected kidnappers in the Udu Local Government Area of the state.

The police spokesperson in the state, Bright Edafe, disclosed this in a statement on Monday.

Mr Edafe, a deputy superintendent of police, said the suspects were killed on Thursday when operatives raided a club in the council area following receipt information that the suspects were sighted in the area.

How they were killed

The police spokesperson said the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of Ovwian Aladja Police Headquarters, Aliyu Shaba, drafted operatives to the club in response to the information that the suspects were there.

He said the operatives successfully arrested one of the suspects at the club who equally confessed to being a member of a robbery and kidnapping gang.

The arrested suspect subsequently led the operatives to their hideout in the council area, where members of the gang engaged the police in a shoot-out.

“During the gun duel, one of the suspects was neutralised by the operatives,” Mr Edafe said.

READ ALSO: Eight arrested over killing of Delta prince, two police officers – Police

The police spokesperson said the suspect, initially arrested at the club, was injured in the crossfire while other members of the gang escaped.

“The injured suspect gave up the ghost before he could get to the hospital,” he said, adding that a manhunt for the fleeing gang members was ongoing.

One AK-47 rifle and 27 rounds of live ammunition were among the items recovered from the suspects during the operation, according to the police.

Robbery syndicate

Mr Edafe said the police, in a separate incident, arrested a suspect, Titus Sunday, 49, who allegedly broke into peoples’ homes to steal their properties.

The police spokesperson said the suspect’s arrest followed a directive by the Commissioner of Police in Delta State, Muhammed Ali, to various DPOs in the state to “fish out” those behind recurring robbery attacks in the state or risk being sacked from the force.

The suspect, Mr Sunday, was arrested in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, he said.

“During interrogation, the suspect confessed to being part of a syndicate that specialises in stealing generators within Asaba metropolis (in Delta State),” Mr Edafe stated.

The suspect later led the operatives to Awka, Anambra State capital, where a 220 KVA generator stolen in Asaba was recovered, the police said.

“The suspect, on Sunday, 29 January, also led operatives to their hideout in Asaba, and seven other suspected stolen sound-proof generators were recovered,” he added.

He said the police had begun a manhunt to track down fleeing members of the syndicate.