The Delta State Police Command has rescued a kidnapped woman and arrested two suspected drug dealers in separate operations carried out in different parts of the state.
In a statement released on Tuesday, the Command’s Public Relations Officer, Bright Edafe, said the two operations took place on Saturday in Ovian Aladja and Effurun GRA, respectively.
In the first incident, officers from the Ovian Aladja Division responded swiftly to a distress call after a man reported that his wife had been abducted by armed men around 2 a.m. while the family was asleep.
According to the police, the attackers broke into their home, robbed them of valuables, and then took the woman away.
“The DPO, CSP Friday Ekundayo, immediately mobilised his team and led a rescue operation into the nearby forest,” the statement read. “Following sustained pressure from the police, the kidnappers were forced to abandon their victim and flee.”
The woman was rescued unharmed and has since been reunited with her family, while efforts are ongoing to track down the fleeing suspects.
In a separate operation the same day, the Command’s Crack Squad in Asaba stormed a suspected drug den in Effurun GRA, Uvwie Local Government Area, arresting two men believed to be major suppliers of illicit drugs in the area.
The suspects, identified as 33-year-old Igwe Samson and 39-year-old Abalum Sunday, were apprehended around 5 a.m. after police intelligence linked them to large-scale drug trafficking.
During the raid, officers intercepted a Toyota Sienna van allegedly used to move banned substances. A search of the vehicle led to the recovery of:
450 bottles of codeine syrup,
188 bottles of barcadine,
208 sachets of tramadol (100mg),
300 sachets of swinol,
100 sachets of tramadol (500mg),
50 sachets of rophynol, and
A large bag of cannabis.
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Edafe revealed that preliminary investigations showed the suspects had been running the illegal trade for about two years, sourcing drugs from Onitsha and transporting them mostly at night to avoid arrest.
The Command described the operation as part of its ongoing crackdown on drug trafficking and abuse, which it says is fueling violent crimes among youths in the state.
Commending the officers involved, the Commissioner of Police, Olufemi Abaniwonda, praised their swift action and professionalism, noting that their efforts prevented what could have been another tragedy.
He reassured residents that the police would continue to intensify patrols and intelligence operations to make Delta unsafe for criminals.
Abaniwonda also warned drug dealers to desist from their activities, stressing that narcotics remain one of the key drivers of crime and social decay in the country.
