Incessant Kidnap For Ransom In Delta North: Police Boss Redeploys Ogwashi-Uku DPO, Rejigs Operational Strategy

By Frank Oshanugor

In what seems like a loss of confidence, following the incessant incidents of kidnap for ransom in parts of Delta North Senatorial District, Delta State Police Commissioner, Olufemi Abaniwonda has ordered the immediate redeployment of the Divisional Police Officer (name with-held) in charge of Ogwashi-Uku Division.

Among the recent incident was the abduction of no fewer than six worshippers at a Pentecostal church during a night vigil last Saturday at Azagba Ogwashi-Uku.

The kidnappers who collected about N10million ransom were latter chased by local Vigilante members and some police men in a forest at Ubulu-Uku during which the abductors reportedly abandoned the ransom and ran for their lives after a hot exchange of gun fire.

According to Delta State Police spokesman, Superintendent of Police Bright Edafe in a statement on Wednesday, the Delta Command was “aware of a series of complaints emanating from Ogwashi-uku circulating on WhatsApp and other social media platforms of incessant kidnapping and armed robbery in the area.

“The Commissioner of Police Delta State, CP Olufemi Abaniwonda, has directed the Deputy Commissioner of police operations DCP Aina Adesola to deploy tactical teams to Ogwashi-Uku and the area Commander Ogwashi-Uku to coordinate the operation.”

He noted that “in compliance with this directive, deployments of combat operatives were drawn from Dragon Patrol, Eagle-Net, and Rapid Response Squad (RRS) and posted to various nipping points in Ogwshi-Uku. In the same vein, the command’s Special Anti-Kidnapping and Cyber-Crime Squad (SAKCCS) has been

mandated to relocate to Ogwashi-Uku and to embark on intelligence-driven policing to ensure that all suspected kidnappers and armed robbers carrying out these nefarious activities are arrested and brought to justice.

“In addition to these deployments, operatives of the State Intelligence Department (SID) have been directed to embark on undercover policing duties and intelligence gathering in the area.”

Meanwhile, the Delta police boss has reaffirmed and assured residents in the state of the Command’s commitment to providing security for all and ensuring that the entire state is safe.

Members of the public have been urged to go about their lawful business while monitoring their environment and report any suspicious person or movement to the Police.