The Delta State Police Command has apprehended a suspected notorious kidnapper who had long been on its watch list.
The arrest, a significant breakthrough in the fight against violent crimes in the state, was made possible through coordinated efforts by the X-Squad and Buffalo Patrol Teams.
According to a statement issued on Thursday, July 31, 2025, by the command’s spokesperson, SP Bright Edafe, the arrest occurred on Sunday when officers stormed a known criminal hideout along Ibusa Road.
During the operation, the 42-year-old suspect, identified as Chiadiji Collins and popularly known by the alias “Smooth,” was arrested. He is believed to have orchestrated numerous kidnappings across the Ibusa/Ogwashi-Uku, Issele-Uku, and Asaba areas of Delta State.
Following his arrest, Collins was subjected to thorough interrogation. He subsequently led the operatives to his residence located in the Ewulu community, within Aniocha South Local Government Area. Acting on a duly executed search warrant, the police recovered an AK-47 rifle and forty rounds of 7.62mm live ammunition from the premises.
Further investigations resulted in the arrest of another suspect, identified as Ezechie Andrew, who resides in the same community. During a search, officers recovered two pump-action rifles and two live cartridges in his possession. Both men are suspected members of a kidnapping syndicate that has terrorised several communities in the region.
In a separate but related operation, three suspected members of the Eiye Confraternity were arrested in Abraka, a university town in Ethiope East Local Government Area of the state.
SP Edafe revealed that, on Wednesday, July 30, 2025, at about 6:30 a.m., operatives from the Command’s Rapid Response Squad (RRS) acted on credible intelligence and raided a suspected cultist hideout located at Big Gate, Campus III, Abraka. The raid led to the arrest of three individuals: Benjamin Okwufulueze (21), Augustine Ifeanyi (22), and Iruma Japheth (27).
Recovered from the suspects were one locally-fabricated Beretta pistol, four rounds of live ammunition, a black cap bearing the Eiye insignia, and a battle axe. During preliminary interrogation, all three suspects reportedly confessed to being active members of the Eiye cult group. They are currently in police custody as investigations continue.
Reacting to these developments, the Commissioner of Police in Delta State, Olufemi Abaniwonda, commended the efforts of the operatives involved and urged members of the public to remain vigilant. He appealed to parents and guardians to guide their children and wards away from involvement in criminal or cult-related activities.
The Commissioner further encouraged residents to promptly report any suspicious individuals or activities to the nearest police station, stressing that community cooperation is crucial to sustaining the progress made in tackling insecurity across the state.