Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
The Delta State Police Command has rescued a 25-year-old woman allegedly held hostage in Usiefrun community and arrested five suspects in separate operations linked to kidnapping and cult-related violence across the state.
The command disclosed the developments in a statement issued by its spokesperson, SP Bright Edafe, and made available to journalists on Sunday, October 4, 2026.
According to the police, the rescue operation was carried out on Saturday, October 3, following credible intelligence shared between police divisions.
Edafe said operatives of the Otu-Jeremi Division, acting on information from the Ovwian-Aladja Division, mobilised to Usiefrun Community at about 8:30 a.m., where the 25-year-old woman was allegedly assaulted and held hostage.
The woman was rescued during the operation, while a 29-year-old man identified as Brotugbare Francis Onome was arrested in connection with the incident.
The police said investigations into the circumstances surrounding the alleged hostage situation were ongoing.
The command also announced two arrests in Abraka over an alleged plan to kidnap a woman.
According to Edafe, the Abraka Division received information on October 1 about an alleged conspiracy to kidnap a woman in the community.
Following the information, police operatives, working with members of the Civilian Anti-Cult Operatives, arrested 37-year-old Endurance Akpade and 43-year-old Edwin Friday Morgan.
The two suspects were taken into police custody and, according to the command, are assisting investigators with inquiries into the alleged kidnapping plot.
In another operation, the police said two suspected cult members were arrested in Oghara in connection with the alleged killing of a 25-year-old man identified as Godfrey.
The victim was reportedly killed at Jesse Main Market in Ethiope West Local Government Area on March 24, 2026.
The arrests followed intelligence gathered from a video that allegedly showed suspected cult members celebrating the killing.
Police operatives from the Violent Crime Response Unit subsequently raided a suspected criminal hideout in Oghara on October 1 and arrested 23-year-old Ezekiel Sunday Izomor and 23-year-old Emmanuel Ogaganefe.
The command said preliminary investigations indicated that the alleged killing was connected to a struggle for leadership within the Aro Bagger confraternity.
According to the police, a suspect identified as Collins allegedly wanted to become the leader of the group and was accused of conspiring with the two arrested suspects and another suspect identified as Richman.
Both Collins and Richman remain at large, with the police saying efforts are ongoing to apprehend them.
The latest operations bring the number of suspects arrested in the separate incidents announced by the command to five.
The police also reported the recovery of several items during the operations, which it said would form part of the ongoing investigations.
The command said the cases involving the rescued woman, the alleged kidnapping conspiracy and the cult-related killing were being investigated separately.
The Delta Police Command has continued to rely on intelligence-led operations and information sharing between divisions in its response to kidnapping, cultism and other violent crimes in the state.
Commissioner of Police, Delta State Command, CP Samuel Erale, commended the officers involved in the operations for what he described as their swift response and effective intelligence sharing.
Eralе also urged residents to continue providing the police with credible information that could assist security agencies in preventing crimes and apprehending suspects.
The police commissioner further warned youths against involvement in cult activities, saying such activities pose a serious threat to their future.
The latest arrests come less than two weeks after the Delta Police Command announced another major operation in which a 48-year-old woman abducted in the Ovade Forest was rescued, while dozens of suspected cult members were arrested in separate operations across the state.
The command has in recent weeks reported a series of operations targeting kidnapping, cultism and other violent crimes in different parts of Delta State.
However, the suspects arrested in the latest operations remain accused persons, and the allegations against them have not been established in court.
Police investigations are expected to determine the circumstances surrounding the alleged hostage-taking incident in Usiefrun, the reported kidnapping conspiracy in Abraka and the death of Godfrey in Jesse.
The command has not indicated whether any of the suspects have been formally charged before a court as of the latest reports.
The police urged residents to remain vigilant and continue to cooperate with security agencies by providing timely information on suspicious activities.
The rescue of the 25-year-old woman and the arrests were described by the command as part of its broader effort to disrupt criminal networks and prevent violent crimes across Delta State.
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