Police rescue kidnap victim, arrest suspected drug barons
The Delta State Police Command has rescued a kidnapped woman and arrested two suspected drug traffickers in separate operations, recovering large quantities of illicit drugs and a stolen vehicle in the process.
Police spokesman SP Bright Edafe, who disclosed this in a statement on Tuesday, said the kidnap victim the wife of a male complainant (name withheld) was rescued unhurt after being abducted by armed men at Ovian Aladja around 2 p.m. on October 12.
According to Edafe, the assailants broke into the family’s apartment while they were asleep, robbed them, and whisked away the woman. Following a distress call, the Divisional Police Officer (DPO), CSP Friday Ekundayo, swiftly mobilised operatives who pursued the suspects to a forest near Iyara community, where the kidnappers abandoned the victim and fled.
“The victim was rescued unharmed and has since been reunited with her family, while a manhunt for the fleeing suspects is ongoing,” Edafe stated.
In a separate operation earlier that day, operatives from the Crack Squad raided a suspected drug den at Effurun GRA around 5:00 a.m., acting on credible intelligence. Two suspects Igwe Samson (33) and Abalum Sunday (39) were arrested.
A search of their Sienna vehicle led to the recovery of 450 bottles of CSP codeine, 188 bottles of bargadine, 208 sachets of 100mg tramadol, 300 sachets of swinol, 100 sachets of 500mg tramadol, 50 sachets of rophynol, and bags of cannabis.
Edafe said preliminary investigations revealed the suspects had been trafficking drugs for about two years, sourcing their supplies from Onitsha, Anambra State, and transporting them at night to evade detection.
He added that the suspects were in custody while efforts were ongoing to arrest their suppliers and buyers.
Commending the officers for their gallantry, the Commissioner of Police, CP Olufemi Abaniwonda, urged youths to steer clear of crime and substance abuse, describing drugs as “a major driver of criminal activity.”
“Drug abuse destroys lives and communities. It should be avoided for the sake of one’s health and the peace of our society,” the CP warned.