The Decoy Squad of the Delta State Commissioner of Police, headed by ASP Julius Robinson, has apprehended a 41-year-old leader, Morrison Godwin, of a kidnapping syndicate operating in Warri and its surroundings.
This arrest also included several other members of the gang, namely Raymond Etchie, Felix Okoro, Oghene Ogaga Sylvester, Henry Edeki, Ominike Sunday, Jerusalem Sunday, and Theophilus Akpofi, all adult males.
The leader was captured in the Amukpe Area of Sapele Town around 11:00 hrs, while the rest were apprehended on 26/11/2023 at their designated meeting spot. Their arrest was linked to the alleged abduction of a 43-year-old woman driving her ML-350 Mercedes Benz along Shell Road in Sapele on 19/11/2023 around 9 pm.
Subsequently, the victim was held captive in her vehicle until it ran out of fuel, following which the kidnappers transferred her to their operational tricycle. She was eventually released on 22/11/2023 after a ransom payment of two million naira (#2,000,000).
DSP Bright Edafe, the Delta State Police Public Relations Officer, confirmed these events in a statement that was signed and released to the public.
He gave the names of the suspects saying, “Raymond Etchie ‘m’ 46yrs who negotiated and received the said ransom; Felix Okoro ‘m’ 40yrs who is one of the syndicate’s operational driver; Oghene Ogaga sylvester ‘m’ 45yrs who guarded the victim; Henry Edeki ‘m’ 35yrs, Ominike Sunday ‘m’ 23yrs, Jerusalem Sunday ‘m’ 35yrs, and Theophilus Akpofi “m” 29yrs.”
According to DSP Edafe, “All suspects confessed to the crime admitting their various roles and have been identified by the victim.
“The suspects during interrogation disclosed the location of the victim’s vehicle which was later recovered at Oghara Town.
“Effort is being intensified to recover the syndicate’s operational weapons.”
