Police launch massive crackdown on crime across Delta, clear Asaba hideouts
The Delta State Police Command has intensified security operations across the state with a combination of statewide deployments, targeted raids, and a show of force in Asaba and other key
The Delta State Police Command has intensified security operations across the state with a combination of statewide deployments, targeted raids, and a show of force in Asaba and other key areas, as part of renewed efforts to curb crime and reassure residents.
The Commissioner of Police, Yemi Oyeniyi, ordered the measures after a review of the security situation, in line with directives from the Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Rilwan Disu, calling for increased visibility policing and intelligence-led operations nationwide.
Police spokesman in the state, Superintendent of Police, Mr. Bright Edafe, said personnel had been deployed across all nine area commands, with intensified stop-and-search operations mounted along major highways, entry and exit routes, and identified flashpoints. The Command's spokesman also announced sustained day and night patrols and joint operations with other security agencies.
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As part of the crackdown, he said the police had launched targeted operations in areas prone to kidnapping and related crimes, including Owa-Oyibu, Ogwashi-Uku, Okpanam, Ashaka, Ovwero in Ughelli North, Umunede, Igbodo, Idumuesah, Ute, and other border communities.
In a related development, tactical teams drawn from multiple units carried out a coordinated show of force and clearance operation in Asaba on April 8, 2026.
Edafe said the operation focused on the Okpanam bush axis and adjoining locations, where suspected criminal hideouts, including shanties and makeshift camps, were dismantled.
He said the exercise targeted criminal elements, including suspected IPOB/ESN actors, while also serving as a confidence-building patrol to reassure residents, farmers, and business owners of their safety.
Edafe stated that the command's operational priorities include the protection of lives and property, prevention of unlawful gatherings, disruption of criminal networks, and sustained intelligence-led raids on black spots.
He said Area Commanders had also been directed to convene stakeholders' town hall meetings to strengthen community engagement and improve intelligence gathering.
The spokesman urged residents to remain vigilant and report suspicious activities through designated emergency and complaint lines, with assurances that all reports would be treated confidentially.
He reiterated the police commitment to upholding human rights and warned against the spread of unverified information capable of causing panic, stressing that security remains a collective responsibility.
Edafe said the operations would be sustained and expanded to other parts of the state.
