Three suspected kidnappers involved in the attempted abduction of the wife of a Delta State House of Assembly member have been killed by the police during a gunfight. The suspects had previously evaded capture after an attack in which they killed two policemen and the driver of the victim’s vehicle.
The incident began on September 2, 2024, when the kidnappers attempted to abduct the woman at Okoloba Junction along Jakpa Road in Uvwie, Delta State. The armed men shot and killed two mobile policemen and the driver, identified as David Imela, while trying to kidnap the woman. Their attempt, however, failed.
The Delta State Police Command responded swiftly to the attack. The police spokesperson, Bright Edafe, confirmed the incident to PUNCH Metro on Sunday in Asaba, the Delta State capital. He explained that the Commissioner of Police, Olufemi Abaniwonda, had immediately ordered the deployment of security forces around Warri and its surrounding areas to prevent the suspects from escaping.
“Following the failed attempted kidnap of the wife of one of the members of the Delta State House of Assembly, where the suspected kidnappers murdered two Mobile Policemen and the driver, the Commissioner of Police immediately ordered a water-tight deployment around Warri and its environs,” Edafe stated.
Police officers from the Ebrumede Division, led by Divisional Police Officer (DPO) CSP Iwok Ndifereke, set up strategic roadblocks, including an artificial traffic hold-up at the DSC Roundabout. It was there that officers spotted the vehicle used by the suspects. When the suspects saw the police, they opened fire, leading to a fierce exchange of gunfire. The police responded swiftly, and the kidnappers were forced to abandon their bullet-riddled vehicle and flee with injuries. Three AK-47 rifles and the vehicle, with registration number WWR-436-GZ, were recovered from the scene.
Also Read:
- Lagos State Government Partners with Police to Combat Land Grabbing
- Adamawa Police Arrest Four Notorious Gang Members in Yola
Determined to bring the criminals to justice, Commissioner Abaniwonda instructed the DPO Ebrumede to continue pursuing the suspects. Armed with evidence found in the abandoned vehicle, the police tracked the suspects to their hideout in Agbarho on October 3, 2024.
“The DPO Ebrumede Division, CSP Iwok Ndifereke, led operatives to their hideout in Agbarho, where they engaged the suspects in a fierce gun duel,” Edafe said.
Despite the intense shootout, the police were able to overpower the criminals. Three of the suspects sustained serious gunshot wounds and later died at the hospital. Another AK-47 rifle was recovered, bringing the total number of recovered rifles to four. Several members of the gang managed to escape, and a manhunt for the remaining suspects is ongoing.