The Delta State Police Command said its operatives have arrested two suspects and recovered two pump-action guns, 18 live cartridges and other dangerous items in separate intelligence-led operations aimed at curbing the proliferation of illegal firearms and violent crime across the state.
The operations were carried out by operatives of the Violent Crime Response Unit (VCRU) and the Command Anti-Cult Unit (CACU) in different parts of Delta State.
This was disclosed in a statement by the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Bright Edafe, on Sunday.
In the first operation, operatives, acting on credible intelligence, stormed a residence in Obiaruku on September 12, 2026, following information that the occupant was allegedly in possession of firearms and ammunition.
The suspect, identified as 36-year-old Joel Iwomi, of Umuebu, Obiaruku, reportedly resisted the operatives’ attempt to gain access to the premises.
The operatives eventually gained entry and conducted a search of the residence, during which they recovered one pump-action gun and 18 live cartridges.
Iwomi was arrested and taken into custody, while investigation into the source and intended use of the firearm and ammunition is ongoing.
In a separate operation conducted on September 9, CACU operatives arrested Chukwuka Nzete, also known as “Ododo,” of Isupe Community in Ndokwa West Local Government Area.
Nzete was allegedly suspected of involvement in the illegal sale and proliferation of firearms and was also accused of operating a shrine where suspected criminal elements were allegedly fortified.
A search of his residence led to the recovery of one pump-action gun, four dagger knives, one battle axe and pots containing substances suspected to be charms.
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The suspect was subsequently taken into custody as investigators work to establish the full extent of his alleged activities and possible links to other criminal elements.
The police said the latest arrests and weapons recoveries come amid intensified efforts by the Delta Police Command to disrupt the circulation of illicit firearms and prevent them from being used to perpetrate violent crimes across the state.
The Commissioner of Police, CP Samuel E. Erale, reaffirmed the command’s determination to deny criminal elements access to illegal firearms and other weapons capable of threatening public safety.
Erale urged residents to remain vigilant and provide credible information about suspicious persons, illegal firearms and criminal activities within their communities.
He assured members of the public that actionable information supplied to the police would be treated with the necessary confidentiality.
The command said investigations into both cases are ongoing.
