Police arrest suspected gun runners connected to Delta extrajudicial killing case

The Nigeria Police Force in Delta State has arrested four suspected members of a gun-running syndicate connected to the recovery of a Beretta pistol in Effurun, Uvwie Local Government Area. This incident culminated in the controversial killing of a suspected gun runner, Oghenemine (Mene) Ogidi, by a police officer.

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The Commissioner of Police in Delta State, Yemi Oyeniyi, disclosed this during a press briefing at the state police headquarters in Asaba on Monday.

Mr Oyeniyi said the arrest followed weeks of intelligence-driven investigations across Bayelsa and Imo states after operatives recovered the firearm at a transport park in Effurun on 1 May.

The police commissioner also said that the dismissed former Assistant Superintendent of Police, Nuhu Usman, who was captured in a viral video shooting Mr Ogidi, and other accomplices have been returned to Delta State to face prosecution.

According to him, the case file has already been forwarded to the office of the Delta State Attorney-General for legal action.

“The dismissed officer and others involved are back in Delta State, and the case file is already with the Attorney-General for prosecution,” he said.

Mr Oyeniyi said the first suspect, Emmanuel Chukwuemeka, was arrested in Bayelsa on 4 May.

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Investigators, he said, discovered that Mr Chukwuemeka used his roommate’s phone to purchase the Beretta pistol before reselling it.

“He confessed to buying the firearm for N290,000 and selling it for N380,000 to one Desmond, who is currently at large,” the police commissioner said.

Police said investigations revealed that Desmond allegedly arranged for the firearm to be transported to Effurun, where the late Ogidi was to collect it and deliver it to Sapele.

Police investigation later led operatives to Imo State, where another suspect, Amadi Princewill, was arrested on 15 May.

During interrogation, Mr Princewill reportedly told investigators that he obtained the pistol from Amadi Felix Chibuike for N200,000.

Based on the information, the police said they tracked and arrested Mr Chibuike in Owerri on 16 May.

Mr Oyeniyi said the suspects had been identified as members of the Black Axe confraternity and would be charged in court upon the conclusion of investigations.

He added that efforts were ongoing to arrest other members of the syndicate, including the fugitive suspect, Desmond.

The arrest came weeks after public outrage over the killing of Mr Ogidi, who was shot by Mr Usman shortly after his arrest.

A video of the incident, which circulated widely on social media, showed the police officer shooting the suspect at close range, triggering calls for accountability and a thorough investigation.

PREMIUM TIMES reported that police subsequently dismissed Mr Usman from service and initiated criminal proceedings against him and other officers implicated in the incident.