The Delta State Police Command has recorded another significant breakthrough in its ongoing crackdown on violent crime, recovering three pump-action guns, three motorcycles suspected to have been stolen, and arresting five suspects in separate intelligence-led operations across the state.

The Command’s spokesperson, SP Bright Edafe, disclosed the development on Monday, stating that the operations were carried out by officers attached to the Asaba and Ekpan Divisions as part of sustained efforts to combat armed robbery and the illegal possession of firearms.

According to him, the first operation took place on July 27, 2026, when operatives of the ‘C’ Division, Asaba, intercepted a suspect during a routine stop-and-search exercise along the Asaba-Onitsha Expressway.

The suspect, identified as Joseph Tyavzua, was reportedly travelling on a commercial motorcycle into Onitsha when officers discovered a pump-action gun in his possession.

Police said Tyavzua claimed to be a member of a local vigilante group but was unable to provide any lawful authorisation or documentation permitting him to possess the firearm.

The pump-action gun was immediately recovered, while the suspect remains in police custody as investigations continue to determine the source of the weapon and whether he is linked to any criminal activities.

In a separate operation conducted the same day, operatives of the Ekpan Division arrested four suspected members of an armed robbery syndicate following a report of the robbery of a commercial motorcyclist along Jakpa Road in Effurun.

The police identified the principal suspects as Edodo Gift, 41, and Emoefe Solomon, 27, who were tracked and arrested after investigators launched a targeted operation based on intelligence gathered from the robbery incident.

During interrogation, the suspects reportedly confessed to the crime and led detectives to two suspected receivers of stolen property identified as Fodio Bello, 27, and Kabiru Mohammed, 25, at Otowhe, near Oleh.

The follow-up operation resulted in the recovery of two additional pump-action guns and three motorcycles suspected to have been stolen during previous robbery operations.

All four suspects are currently in police custody, while detectives have intensified efforts to apprehend other fleeing members of the criminal network.

Commending the officers involved in the successful operations, the Commissioner of Police, CP Yemi Oyeniyi, reaffirmed the Command’s commitment to intelligence-led policing and sustained operations against violent criminals across the state.

He assured residents that the Command would continue to strengthen proactive policing strategies aimed at dismantling criminal syndicates, curbing the proliferation of illegal firearms, and improving public safety.

The police commissioner also appealed to members of the public to support security agencies by providing timely, credible and actionable information that could assist in preventing crime and facilitating the arrest of criminal elements.