Operatives of the Delta State Police Command have rescued five kidnapped worshippers following a raid on the suspects’ hideout in Ubuluku forest.
The victims, members of Elyon Paradise Ministry, Ogwashi-Uku, were abducted on February 22, 2025 at a vigil in their church; the pastor of the church was shot and still in the hospital.
Acting swiftly, Commissioner of Police, CP Olufemi Abaniwonda, deployed tactical teams, including the Special Anti-Kidnapping and Cyber-Crime Squad, to ensure their safe rescue.
The Police command on Friday said, on February 25, police operatives, in collaboration with the Ubuluku community vigilante and concerned residents, stormed the kidnappers’ camp.
The suspects opened fire on the officers but were overpowered and fled, abandoning their captives; all the five victims were rescued unharmed and reunited with their families.
The command’s Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), SP Bright Edafe, confirmed that the security operatives recovered 13 expended cartridges and ₦1.3 million, believed to be ransom money.
He disclosed that a manhunt for the fleeing suspects was ongoing.
The Commissioner of Police, Olufemi Abaniwonda, commended the bravery of the police officers and the support of Ubuluku community members, including human rights activists who assisted in the operation.
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