Delta: Police kill kingpin behind abduction of doctor, driver

Operatives of the Delta State Police Command have killed the leader of a gang of kidnappers who recently abducted a medical doctor and his driver in Issele-Uku after collecting a ransom of ₦15 million before their release.

Parading suspects involved in various crimes during his first quarterly briefing in Asaba on Wednesday, the State Commissioner of Police, Olufemi Abaniwonda, disclosed that the gang leader, Abubakar Usman, popularly known as “Shehu,” and other members of the gang were allegedly responsible for a series of kidnappings in Ogwashi-Uku, Ibusa, Ubuluku, and surrounding areas.

The commissioner stated that the group members were also responsible for the kidnapping of the wife and daughter of one Mr Godwin Anuka after murdering him in the Ogwashi-Uku area. He added that Shehu confessed to being responsible for the kidnapping of a realtor, Esther Ojoh, in Ibusa, whose corpse was later found on 25 March 2025.

According to him, the police tracked and arrested the notorious kingpin on 10 April following credible intelligence reports.

“Acting on his confession at about 1100 hours on 11 April 2025, the suspect led operatives to their hideout—a forest along the Asaba/Agbor expressway between Okpanam and Issele-Asagba. During the search of the area, the suspect raised an alarm and fled to join his waiting gang members.

The gang members engaged the team in a fierce gun duel, during which four suspects, including the said Usman Abubakar, sustained serious gunshot injuries. Three AK-47 rifles and ninety rounds of 7.62mm live ammunition were recovered.

The injured suspects were taken to General Hospital Ogwashi-Uku, where they were all confirmed dead.”

CP Abaniwonda also disclosed how two gunrunners, disguised as palm oil and garri traders, concealed seven pump-action guns and cartridges under the back seat of their vehicle before being arrested in Onicha-Igbo along the Asaba-Agbor-Benin expressway.

The suspects, 69-year-old Yahuza Magaji and 17-year-old Abba Sani, both from Lere Local Government Area of Kaduna State, were arrested.

“On 6 March 2025, at about 1100 hours, operatives of the command attached to Dragon Patrol Team 02, while conducting a stop-and-search operation along the Asaba-Benin expressway by the National Open University Onicha-Ugbo, intercepted a navy blue Sharon space bus with registration number DKA 408 LM, driven by one Yahuza Magaji (male), aged 69 years, accompanied by one Abba Sani (male), aged 17 years, both of Lere LGA, Kaduna State.