Six Kidnappers, Robbers Impersonating Vigilance Groups Arrested in Delta

Omon-Julius Onabu in Asaba

Delta State Police Command  announced a major breakthrough in the fight against sophisticated criminal elements in the state with the arrest of six persons allegedly impersonating local  vigilance group members and hunters.

Several arms and ammunition, including pump-action guns, were also recovered from the suspects who were said to have been operating in the Ekpan and Uvwie area in the Warri axis before luck ran out on them.

Their operational vehicle, which they often use with the registration number removed, was also recovered from the criminal suspects and impersonators of regular security operatives and authorized vigilance members in the state.

The state police command spokesman, Mr. Bright Edafe, who confirmed the arrest to  THISDAY in Asaba, said that the heavily armed gang members were nabbed when the space wagon vehicle were intercepted by eagle-eyed police patrol team attached to the Ekpan police division in Ovwie Local Government Area.

 Edafe, a deputy superintendent of police (DSP), said the that the command had been on the trail following complaints by victims that criminals masquerading as ‘vigilance members’ and hunters picked up unsuspecting persons in the area and ended up robbing or kidnapping the victims for ransom.

The police spokesman, while warning criminals that nemesis would catch up with them sooner than they imagined, said,

“On Thursday, 15th December, 2022 at about 8 o’clock in the evening, police operatives attached to Ekpan Police station deployed on patrol along Jakpa Road,  intercepted a Toyota Sienna space bus, ash in colour without registration number conveying six male occupants.

“The policemen being suspicious subjected them to a search during which three pump-action guns, four locally made guns, one long axe, nine live cartridges, seven extended cartridges,    three cutlasses as well as charms (fetish items) and two vehicle number plates were recovered.”

However, he identified the suspected ringleader as 27-year old Aaron Okorigwe,  who was apprehended with five others.

“The six young men could not give reasonable or satisfactory account of themselves and were subsequently taken into custody,” Edafe said.

“Investigation later revealed that they were hoodlums who operated under the guise of being members of hunters group from Ovwian-Aladja (near Warri) but sneaked into Ekpan Community in a Sienna vehicle and kidnapped unsuspecting persons; after robbing them they run to hibernate in Ovwian-Aladja.

“Following these findings, on Friday 16th December, 2022 the DPO invited three  victims (names withheld), all of whom were at various times victims of armed robberies and kidnappings in the area, and placed the suspects on identification parade. The victims identified the suspects as the syndicate that robbed and kidnapped them”, he said assuring that investigation into the matter was ongoing.

The police report is coming exactly one month after five suspects posing as operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) while abducting and extorting victims in the state of amounts running into over 20 million naira, were arrested in Asaba by the police.

The leader of the fake EFCC officials resided in Port-Harcourt, Rivers State, another resided in Lagos State, while two of them resided in Owerri in Imo State, while one resided in Asaba in Delta State.