Operatives of the Delta State Police have killed a suspected kidnapper during a gun duel in a Delta community.
The operation, which also led to the arrest of three other suspects, resulted in the recovery of an arsenal of deadly weapons.
The Police Public Relations Officer for Delta State Command, SP Bright Edafe, disclosed this in a statement released in Warri on Wednesday.
According to the statement, the incident occurred on August 12, 2024, when the CP Special Squad, based in Ughelli, embarked on an investigation with a previously apprehended suspect, Joel Ofoye.
The investigation led them to the Ewu community in Ughelli South LGA, in pursuit of a notorious gunrunner supplying arms to the kidnapping syndicate.
“While the operatives were on the trail, they came under heavy attack by the suspect’s gang members, who attempted to free Joel Ochuko,” the statement read.
However, the police forced the hoodlums to flee during a gun battle.
The statement added that the injured suspect was promptly taken to the General Hospital in Ughelli but succumbed to his injuries while receiving treatment.
A cache of weapons, including a Beretta pistol with four rounds of live ammunition, a pump-action shotgun with nine cartridges, and a locally fabricated revolver, was recovered from the gang.
