Police in Delta State have dismantled a criminal syndicate specialising in stealing musical instruments from churches, arresting the gang leader and an accomplice. The State Police Command said the breakthrough followed meticulous intelligence and surveillance, with Commissioner of Police Olufemi Abaniwonda directing Divisional Police Officers to conduct intelligence-led investigations.
Police were alerted to a potential armed attack, prompting swift interception of a gold-coloured Toyota Sienna van. Command spokesman, SP Bright Edafe, said operatives on September 16, 2025, received a distress call about an imminent armed attack on Dominican City Church along Polytechnic Road by Sticals Hotel. Patrol teams from Ogwashi-Uku Division, working with local vigilantes led by DPO CSP Israel Okomoyon, intercepted the van, registered EFR-150-XB, with two occupants identified as 21-year-old Emmanuel Emiowor and 20-year-old Noah Philip, both of PTI Road, Warri.
Edafe explained that the operation was spurred by multiple complaints of nighttime attacks on churches where instruments and other valuables were stolen. A search of the van yielded one pump-action gun, three locally made single-barrel guns, one locally fabricated revolver, one live cartridge, and an iron rod believed to have been used to break into churches.
He said the suspects confessed to their crimes, and recovery of stolen items is underway. Both men remain in custody as investigations continue.
The command stressed that the success of the operation reflected the importance of community vigilance and swift police action in restoring safety to places of worship. Commissioner Abaniwonda reaffirmed the police’s determination to rid Delta State of criminal elements, insisting it would not be allowed to become a haven for crime. He added that continued public cooperation was vital to sustaining security gains.
