The Delta State Police Command has arrested five suspects and recovered four locally made single-barrelled guns, vehicles, motorcycles and a large cache of property suspected to have been stolen in separate operations across the state.
According to a statement issued on Tuesday by the Command’s Police Public Relations Officer, SP Bright Edafe, the operations were conducted in Orerokpe, Ekpan and Agbor on September 19, 2026,
In Orerokpe, operatives of the division, working with members of the Civilian Anti-Cult group, Osubi, intercepted two Toyota Sienna vehicles conveying musical equipment along the Warri-Sapele Road.
The occupants reportedly fled after sighting the police, but operatives arrested a 45-year-old man identified as Lawrence Onowenakpo.
A search of the vehicles allegedly led to the recovery of three locally made single-barrelled long guns and one live cartridge.
During preliminary interrogation, police said the suspect identified Ajeh Zephaniah, also known as Fanta, as the alleged gang leader.
Police said Zephaniah had previously been arrested and arraigned for armed robbery but was later granted bail on health grounds.
Further investigation reportedly led the joint team to a scrap yard in Warri, which police described as a suspected operational base of the gang.
Items recovered from the location included three motorcycles, 22 air-conditioning units, 13 washing machines, 29 motorcycle and tricycle engines, musical equipment, television sets, a generator, laptop and other property suspected to have been stolen.
The Command said preliminary investigations had linked the alleged gang to recent armed robbery incidents around the Kwale and Warri areas. Efforts are ongoing to arrest Zephaniah and other members of the group who are still at large.
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In a separate operation at Ekpan, police operatives responded to a distress call at about 6:40 p.m. concerning a man allegedly threatening people around the Scrap Yard axis of Effurun-Sapele Road.
The operatives arrested 23-year-old Meshach Onovoisa and recovered one locally made single-barrelled gun from him.
According to the police, the suspect allegedly admitted during preliminary interrogation that he was involved in armed robbery. Investigation into the case is ongoing.
Meanwhile, operatives of Agbor Division, acting on credible intelligence, arrested three men identified as 20-year-old Agbaja Promise, 25-year-old Emmanuel Ovieh and 25-year-old Odiri Dama, all from Benin City, Edo State.
The trio were allegedly attempting to dispose of a Hijet mini bus with registration number BEN-485-XH for ₦300,000 without producing ownership documents.
Police recovered the vehicle and subsequently identified and contacted its rightful owner.
The Command said investigation into the case was continuing.
The Commissioner of Police, Delta State Command, CP Samuel E. Erale, commended the officers involved in the operations as well as members of the public whose information and cooperation contributed to the arrests and recoveries.
Erale reiterated the Command’s commitment to dismantling criminal networks across the state and urged residents to continue providing the police with credible and timely information on criminal activities.
