Operatives of the Special Anti-Kidnapping and Cybercrime Squad of the Delta State Police Command engaged suspected kidnappers in the Ubuluku-Ogwashi-Uku forests, where victims were being held hostage.
They successfully rescued five members of Elyon Paradise Ministry, Ogwashi-Uku, who had been abducted while attending a night vigil at the church.
Following the kidnapping on February 22, 2025, the Commissioner of Police, Delta State Command, CP Olufemi Abaniwonda, deployed tactical teams to Ogwashi-Uku.
On February 25, 2025, a team led by the squad’s Commander, CSP Labe Joseph, alongside members of the Ubuluku community vigilante group and concerned locals, stormed the forest where the victims were being held.
The state Police Public Relations Officer, SP Bright Edafe, stated that, “The kidnappers, upon sighting the police, engaged them in a fierce gun battle but could not withstand the superior firepower of the operatives. They fled, abandoning the victims.”
The statement further noted that exhibits recovered from the scene included 13 rounds of expended cartridges and a bag containing N1,300,000, suspected to be ransom money.
The police confirmed that a manhunt for the fleeing suspects is ongoing.
