Delta Police Nab Kidnappers, Rescue Baby, Recover N3m

Police from Ekpan Division in Delta State have arrested a woman suspected of abducting a two-month-old baby in February while travelling from Koko to Warri. The suspect, Joy Temitope Oyetimi, aged 49, allegedly drugged the baby’s mother with juice, causing her to fall asleep, and then fled with the child.

Following an intelligence-led investigation, the now five-month-old baby was rescued and reunited with his parents.

Commissioner of Police Olufemi Abaniwonda, addressing journalists in Asaba on Thursday, May 15, detailed the case. “On 7 April 2025 at about 1000 hours, the DPO Ekpan Police station received a complaint that a woman, aged 20 years, embarked on a business trip on 16 February 2025 with one Mrs Joy from Koko to Warri, Delta, and while they were on their way, Mrs Joy drugged his wife via a juice, she slept off, and the suspect made away with her two-month-old baby boy,” he said. The suspect, now in custody, confessed to the crime during interrogation.

In a separate operation, on Monday, May 12, Dragon Patrol operatives intercepted a gold-coloured Toyota Sienna bus on the Kwale/Ozoro expressway. A search uncovered ₦3,100,000 from four suspects: Abubakar Alwalu, 25, Usman Husseini, 25, Adamu Mohammed, 30, and Anwalu Umaru, 23. “Preliminary investigation revealed that the suspects belong to a gang of five and were allegedly responsible for the kidnap of a lady at Ughelli in her house, held her captive for four days, and collected a ransom of four million naira (#4,000,000) on 11 May 2025,” Abaniwonda stated. The victim identified the suspects, and investigations continue.

On Saturday, May 10, the CP-Special Assignment Team arrested a suspected kidnapper, Abdullahi Ibrahim, 22, in Ore, Ondo State. Ibrahim led police to another suspect, Adamu Usman, 24, from Abeokuta. “Upon interrogation, the suspects led operatives to a forest along Ore-Lagos expressway by a popular area called ‘stepdown,’ where one AK-47 rifle loaded with fourteen rounds of live ammunition and a locally made long gun with six rounds of live cartridges were recovered,” the commissioner said.

Additionally, on Monday, May 12, the Special Anti-Kidnapping and Cyber-Crime Squad arrested Lawal Tasiu, 26, in Asaba after a kidnapping in Itego, Ibusa. A search recovered ₦900,000, part of the ransom. “On 13 May 2025 at about 0630 hours, the suspect led operatives to their hideout in Issele-Azagba, where one AK-47 rifle, one pump-action gun, two AK-47 magazines, and eighty-seven rounds of 7.62mm live ammunition were recovered,” Abaniwonda added. All suspects remain in custody as investigations proceed.