The Delta State Police Command has arrested four suspected armed robbers and cultists in separate operations in Umunede and Ughelli, recovering seven firearms, two stolen motorcycles and suspected illicit drugs.
The arrests followed intelligence-led operations targeting suspected cultists and motorcycle-snatching gangs in the two communities, the police said.
The Police Public Relations Officer, SP Bright Edafe, disclosed this in a statement made available to journalists in Warri on Saturday.
According to the statement, the first operation followed a complaint by a Umunede resident on October 30, 2026, that a 30-year-old man, Chibuike Ezeji, had threatened to kill him while allegedly displaying a pistol.
The police said operatives of the Umunede Division, working with members of the community’s Civilian Anti-Cult Group, raided a residence along Umunede Expressway, where Ezeji was reportedly staying.
The operation led to the arrest of Ezeji and another suspect, 22-year-old Ikenna Emeka.
A search of the residence reportedly led to the recovery of a pump-action gun, a locally made cut-to-size gun, three locally made pistols, eight live cartridges and substances suspected to be cannabis and methamphetamine, popularly called ice.
In a separate operation on October 28, operatives of the Commissioner of Police’s Special Assignment Team raided a suspected criminal hideout in the Ighrovie area of Ughelli following complaints of motorcycle theft along Stadium Road, Saniko and neighbouring areas.
The operation led to the arrest of Peter Emobaye, 22, and James Emmanuel, 29, while a stolen Qlink motorcycle was recovered.
The police said the two suspects later led operatives to the residence of their alleged gang leader, identified as Sunny, in Ufuoma Town.
A search of the residence reportedly led to the recovery of another stolen motorcycle, a Daylong, a fabricated Beretta pistol, a locally made shotgun and two live cartridges.
Edafe said the four suspects were in police custody, while efforts were ongoing to arrest the fleeing alleged gang leader and other members of the suspected syndicate.
The Commissioner of Police, CP Samuel Etaifo Erale, reiterated the command’s commitment to tackling cultism, armed robbery and the circulation of illegal firearms in the state.
He urged residents to provide the police with credible and timely information to support efforts to protect lives and property.
