Residents of Asaba, Ogwashi-Uku, Ubuluku Breathe Relief as Police Neutralize 4 Suspected Kidnappers in Gun Battle
Delta State Police operatives killed four suspected kidnappers in a fierce gun duel on April 11, 2025, recovering three AK-47 rifles and 90 rounds of ammunition. The operation, led by the CP-Special Assignment Team (CP-SAT), has brought relief to residents of Asaba, Ogwashi-Uku, and Ubuluku, areas terrorized by the criminal syndicate linked to high-profile kidnappings, including the abduction of a medical doctor and the murder of realtor Esther Ojoh.
The breakthrough followed the kidnapping of a doctor in Issele-Uku on April 6, 2025. After his release on April 7 upon payment of a ₦15 million ransom, Commissioner of Police CP Olufemi Abaniwonda ordered an intelligence-led investigation. Acting on the directive, CP-SAT Commander ASP Julius Robinson led a sting operation on April 10, arresting gang leader Abubakar Usman, alias “Shehu.”
Usman, who confessed to orchestrating kidnappings across Ogwashi-Uku, Ibusa, Ubuluku, and neighboring areas, admitted involvement in the doctor’s abduction and the murder of Mr. Godwin Anuka in Ogwashi-Uku, whose wife and daughter were later kidnapped. He also confessed to the kidnapping of Esther Ojoh, whose body was discovered in Ibusa on March 25.
On April 11, Usman led police to the syndicate’s hideout in a forest along the Asaba/Agbor Expressway near Okpanam and Issele-Asagba. During a search of the area, Usman alerted his gang members, triggering a gunfight. Four suspects, including Usman, sustained fatal injuries. Three AK-47 rifles and 90 rounds of 7.62mm ammunition were recovered. The injured suspects were pronounced dead at Ogwashi-Uku General Hospital.
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