The Delta State Police Command has reported the deaths of three individuals suspected of attempted kidnapping and armed robbery after a failed effort to abduct the wife of a local assembly member.
This incident took place on September 2, 2024, at Okoloba Junction on Jakpa Road in the Uvwie Local Government Area, resulting in the tragic deaths of two mobile policemen and a driver named David Imela.
In response to the incident, Commissioner of Police Olufemi Abaniwonda initiated a swift and comprehensive operation to locate the suspects. “We promptly deployed officers throughout Warri and its surroundings, establishing roadblocks to prevent any escape routes,” he stated.
According to a statement from SP Edafe Bright, the Delta State Police Public Relations Officer, police operatives from the Ebrumede division, under the leadership of DPO CSP Iwok Ndifereke, created a traffic jam at the DSC roundabout. Upon noticing the police presence, the suspects opened fire.
“The team acted professionally, despite the busy environment,” the statement noted. The assailants abandoned their vehicle, which was riddled with bullets, and fled the scene, although three AK-47 rifles and their operational vehicle, with the registration number WWR-436-GZ, were seized.
Dissatisfied with the suspects’ escape, CP Abaniwonda ordered a full-scale manhunt.
The police reported that on October 3, 2024, DPO Ndifereke and his team tracked the gang to a hideout in Agbarho, resulting in a fierce confrontation. “The officers were prepared for the encounter and managed to overpower the suspects,” the statement confirmed, noting that three of the suspects suffered severe gunshot wounds and later died in the hospital. An additional AK-47 rifle was also recovered.
The police commissioner praised the courage and professionalism of DPO Ndifereke and his team, encouraging other officers to follow their example. Efforts to apprehend the remaining suspects are ongoing.
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