The Delta State Police Command has foiled a planned kidnapping targeting a pastor and a retired school principal in Ughelli, arresting a 26-year-old suspect during an intelligence-led operation.
Police said the operation was carried out after officers received credible information that the suspect, identified only as Jeremiah, was allegedly recruiting an individual into a kidnapping syndicate to execute the planned abductions.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, the Command’s Public Relations Officer, SP Bright Edafe, said operatives attached to ‘A’ Division, Ughelli, acted swiftly on the intelligence received on July 31, 2026, preventing the alleged plot before it could be carried out.
According to the police, the suspect was arrested at his workplace in Ughelli during the operation. A subsequent search led to the recovery of one single-barrel gun and two live cartridges, which were seized as exhibits.
SP Edafe disclosed that the suspect remains in police custody and is undergoing further investigation as detectives work to identify and apprehend other possible members of the alleged kidnapping network.
Reacting to the successful operation, the Commissioner of Police, Delta State Command, CP Yemi Oyeniyi, commended the officers for their professionalism and swift response, describing the arrest as another success for the Command’s intelligence-driven policing strategy.
The police boss reiterated the Command’s determination to clamp down on kidnappers and other violent criminals across the state, assuring residents that security agencies would continue to take proactive measures to prevent crime.
He also appealed to members of the public to remain vigilant and continue providing timely and credible information to law enforcement agencies, noting that community cooperation remains vital in the fight against kidnapping and other criminal activities in Delta State.
