A special team of the Delta State Police Command deployed to Ughelli has killed a suspected kidnapper, while others escaped following a gun battle at Oviri Ogor forest, Ugheli North Local Council of the state.

The Guardian learnt that one ASP Julius Robinson and other officers, on July 25, stormed the forest in search of suspected kidnappers. The suspects engaged the police in a fierce gun battle. One of the suspects sustained severe gunshot injuries, while others escaped with gunshot injuries.

Confirming the development yesterday, the spokesperson for the command, Bright Edafe, said, “The injured suspect later died in the hospital while receiving treatment.”

Edafe said two pump action guns and 16 rounds of live cartridges were recovered from the kidnappers. He also confirmed the arrest of one Akeni College by police officers attached to the Ekpan division, along Kano Road, off DSC, Warri.

He said: “On July 26, at about 1:30 a.m., the Divisional Police Officer (DPO), Ekpan, CSP Aliyu Shaba, acting on intelligence, stormed the area and arrested the suspect who was found with one Beretta pistol, two revolvers, six locally-made guns and cartridges.”

“Operatives of the command’s Rapid Response Squad, while on a stop-and-search duty around Koka in Asaba, sighted a young man with a bag pretending to be waiting for a vehicle. Upon approaching him, the suspect abandoned the bag and escaped. When the bag was searched, one AK-47 rifle and 29 rounds of 7.62mm ammunition were recovered.”