The Police Command in Delta State says it has killed five suspected members of a kidnap syndicate in the state.
The spokesperson of the command, Bright Edafe, disclosed this to reporters in Warri on Wednesday.
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Mr Edafe, a superintendent of police, said the suspects were killed on Friday during a shootout with the operatives of the CP-Special Assignment Team (CP-SAT).
He said the incident occurred inside the Uwiamughe forest in Ughelli North Local Government Area of Delta.
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Mr Edafe said the CP-SAT was led in the operation by Julius Robinson, an assistant superintendent of police, following credible information.
“Acting on credible information, the police team trailed and arrested the leader of a kidnapping syndicate at the DSC roundabout in Warri.
“The arrest and interrogation of the suspect led to the arrest of two other suspects at Otovwodo Park in Ughelli,” he said.
Mr Edafe said a preliminary investigation revealed that the suspects were allegedly responsible for a series of kidnappings and armed robberies in Uwiamughe, Otu-Jeremi, Warri, Ughelli, and the environs.
“Acting on the strength of their confessions, the suspects led the operatives to Uwaimughe forest, where they hid their weapons.
“Upon exit from the forest, some hoodlums suspected to be members of the syndicate engaged the police in a gun duel.
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“During the gun duel, five of the hoodlums sustained gunshot injuries while others escaped,” he said.
The police spokesperson said the injured suspects were taken to the hospital and later died while receiving treatment.
Mr Edafe said that items recovered from the suspects included one AK-47 rifle, one pump action gun, and three locally made guns.
Others were two magazines, 60 rounds of AK-47 live ammunition and 17 rounds of live cartridges.
Mr Edafe said the three arrested suspects and the recovered weapons were in the custody of the police.
He added that the police were making an effort to arrest the fleeing members of the gang.
(NAN)
