Police Foil Kidnap Plot in Delta, Rescue Victims After Gun Battle
A daring operation by the Delta State Police Command has led to the rescue of a 27-year-old woman and several other victims from a suspected kidnappers' hideout along the Ibusa and Ogwashi-Uku forest axis. The operation followed intelligence on the abduction of the woman from Ibusa community in Oshimili North Local Government Area. The victim had been held at a building site near the Obosi River on the outskirts of the town since 12 March 2026.
According to sources, the Commissioner of Police, Aina Adesola, ordered a swift response after receiving details of the incident. The Special Anti-Kidnapping and Cyber-Crime Squad was directed to secure the victims' release and track down the perpetrators. Acting on this directive, operatives led by the Commander of the Special Anti-Kidnapping and Cyber-Crime Squad trailed the kidnappers on March 19, 2026, at about 1500hrs.
The kidnappers attempted to resist arrest, but the operatives responded with superior firepower, forcing them to flee the scene and abandon their captives. The rescued victims were taken to a general hospital for medical attention. A manhunt has been launched for the fleeing suspects.
In a separate incident, police operatives arrested a suspected armed robber linked to an attack on a Point of Sale operator in Boji Boji Owa. The arrest followed a distress call received by the Divisional Police Officer in Owa-Oyibu, reporting that the suspect, identified as Sunday Blessing, and two accomplices had earlier robbed the operator of N600,000 at gunpoint along Diffrey Road near Ebu Owa Market.
A locally made Beretta pistol was recovered from Blessing, who remains in custody as investigations continue.
The Delta State Police Command's swift response to the kidnap plot is a welcome development, especially considering the trauma and suffering inflicted on the victims. The Commissioner of Police, Aina Adesola, deserves commendation for directing a swift response to the incident. The rescue of the victims and the arrest of the suspected armed robber, Sunday Blessing, are testaments to the police's commitment to keeping Nigerians safe. However, the fact that the kidnappers were able to hold their victims for over a week raises concerns about the police's intelligence gathering capabilities. The authorities must do more to prevent such incidents in the future.
