Four suspected kidnappers have been shot dead during a gun battle with police operatives in Delta State, with arms and ammunition recovered from the criminal gang’s hideout, authorities confirmed on Monday.
The operation, carried out on April 10, followed the arrest of one Abubakar Usman, also known as Shehu, identified as the leader of the group.
According to police, Usman confessed to several high-profile kidnappings and murders within the state.
Force Public Relations Officer, ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, in a statement issued in Abuja on April 14, said the suspect led investigators to a forest along the Asaba/Agbor expressway, where the gang was hiding.
“On approaching the hideout, operatives came under heavy fire but were able to neutralize four of the kidnappers,” ACP Adejobi said.
“Three AK-47 rifles and 90 rounds of live ammunition were recovered at the scene.”
The suspect, during interrogation, allegedly admitted to abducting a medical doctor in Issele-Uku, kidnapping the wife and daughter of one Mr. Godwin Anuka at Ogwashi-Uku who was later murdered and the kidnap and killing of Ms. Esther Ojoh in Ibusa.
The Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, praised the operatives for what he described as “bravery, professionalism and resolve,” stating the operation was part of a broader effort to tackle violent crimes such as kidnapping, armed robbery, and banditry.