The Delta State Police Command has arrested a suspected arms dealer and his female accomplice in Uvwie Local Government Area of the state.
The Command’s spokesman, SP Bright Edafe, made this known in a statement on Saturday in Warri.
He said the arrest was made on Wednesday by operatives of the CP-Special Assignment Team (CP-SAT) following credible intelligence from the Force Technical Intelligence Unit, Abuja.
“The CP-SAT, acting on the intelligence, arrested a female suspect at Effurun, Uvwie Local Government Area. A sum of N555,000 suspected to be proceeds from illicit transactions was found in her bag,” Edafe said.
He added that the woman’s arrest led the police to another suspect at the Niger-Cat area in Ekpan, where a follow-up operation was carried out.
According to him, the male suspect is a major supplier of weapons to bandit groups in Northern Nigeria and has long been on the command’s watch list for alleged involvement in high-profile kidnappings and armed robberies.
“The suspect is also linked to the kidnap and murder of one Ogheneovo Onemu, a female victim abducted on May 17, 2024, at Ajaokuta community in Ughelli North. Despite a ransom payment of four million naira, the victim was later killed,” Edafe said.
He stated that 115 rounds of 7.63mm AK-47 ammunition, 220 rounds of SMG rifle ammunition, and 32 live cartridges were recovered from the suspect’s possession.
Edafe said both suspects were in custody while investigations continue.
