Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
A joint security operation involving the Delta State Police Command and SafeCity Security Service has resulted in the capture of a notorious wanted bandit and suspected kidnap kingpin, Abubakar Usman. The arrest, which followed a fierce gun battle in the Ogwashi-Uku/Adonta Forest, was announced on Wednesday, 8 July 2026, by Harrison Gwamnishu, spokesperson for the SafeCity Security Service and a human rights activist who led the operation.
The operation was launched after the abduction of Mrs. Blessing Chiedu, a native of the Umunede Kingdom, who was kidnapped on 2 July 2026 along the Ani-Ifekide Farm Road in Ubulu-Uku. Her abductors demanded a ransom of ₦100 million from her family. Upon receiving information about the incident, Gwamnishu escalated the matter to the Delta State Police Command’s Anti-Kidnapping Squad in Asaba, led by CSP Osakpolor.
Using the Hydra Tech Surveillance System, a coordinated rescue operation was launched, leading to the successful recovery of Mrs. Chiedu alive and unharmed along the Ubulu-Unor/Ashama Road. Following her rescue, security forces immediately launched a manhunt for the fleeing kidnappers. The operation continued throughout the night until approximately 6:45 a.m. on Wednesday, when the surveillance system tracked the gang to their hideout in the Ogwashi-Uku/Adonta Forest.
A fierce gun battle ensued as operatives stormed the camp. During the exchange, Abubakar Usman, one of the gang’s alleged leaders, was successfully captured, while other members of the group escaped deeper into the forest with their firearms. Gwamnishu alleged that preliminary investigations linked Usman and his gang to several kidnapping incidents across Igbodo, Umunede and neighbouring communities, where families were forced to pay millions of naira in ransom to secure the release of their loved ones.
Gwamnishu expressed appreciation to Delta State Governor Sheriff Oborevwori for providing the enabling environment that made the operation possible. He also thanked the Commissioner of Police in Delta State, the officers and men of the Anti-Kidnapping Squad in Asaba, members of the Nigeria Forest Security Service, the Ubulu-Uku Anti-Cult Group, community leaders and other stakeholders who participated in the operation.
The Delta State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Bright Edafe, was yet to make a public statement over the incident at the time of reporting. Gwamnishu reaffirmed the commitment of SafeCity Security Service and collaborating security agencies to sustaining the fight against kidnapping and other violent crimes, stressing that criminal elements would continue to face sustained pressure across Delta State.
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