Operatives of the Delta State Police Command have foiled an alleged plot to kidnap a pastor and a retired school principal in Ughelli, arresting a suspect linked to the planned abduction.

The police said it also recovered a single-barrel gun and two live cartridges during the operation.

The command’s spokesman, Bright Edafe, disclosed this in a statement on Wednesday, saying the arrest followed credible intelligence received by operatives of the ‘A’ Division in Ughelli.

Edafe said the suspect, identified as 26-year-old Jeremiah Kwane, allegedly attempted to recruit another person into a kidnapping syndicate to carry out the planned abduction.

He said, “On July 31, 2026, operatives of ‘A’ Division, Ughelli, acting on credible intelligence, foiled a planned kidnapping after receiving information that Jeremiah Kwane, 26, had attempted to recruit an individual into a kidnapping syndicate with the intention of abducting a pastor and a retired school principal in Ughelli.”

The police spokesman added that the intelligence prompted the immediate arrest of the suspect at his place of work in Ughelli.

He said a search conducted during the operation led to the recovery of a single-barrel gun and two live cartridges, adding that the suspect was assisting the police with further investigation.

Meanwhile, the Commissioner of Police in the state, CP Yemi Oyeniyi, reaffirmed the command’s commitment to tackling kidnapping, armed robbery and other violent crimes.

He also urged residents to support the police by providing timely and credible information that could aid efforts to improve security across the state.

PUNCH Metro reported on June 26 that officers of the Delta State Police Command arrested four suspected kidnappers and armed robbers in separate operations across the state, recovering firearms and other exhibits.

Edafe had stated that on June 23, at about 3:00pm, the police received a report concerning the arrest of two suspects linked to an attempted robbery.