The Delta State Police Command has intensified its offensive against cultism and violent crime with the arrest of seven suspected members of the notorious Maphite Confraternity and the recovery of firearms, ammunition and other incriminating exhibits during separate intelligence-driven operations across the state.
The operations, carried out by operatives of the Command’s Special Anti-Kidnapping Unit (SAKU) and the Abraka Division, also led to the arrest of another suspect allegedly in possession of locally fabricated firearms.
According to a statement issued on Tuesday by the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), SP Bright Edafe, operatives of the Special Anti-Kidnapping Unit, acting on credible intelligence, raided a suspected criminal hideout in Issele-Uku on July 27, 2026.
The operation resulted in the arrest of seven suspects identified as Promise Esenjor, 26, of Abavo; Wisdom Victor, 23, of Umunede; James Wisdom, 25, of Agbor; Chinedu Munonye, 22, of Issele-Uku; Onyemakonor Collins, 20, of Agbor; Unah Oluchi, 21, of Agbor; and Azomani Favour, 23, of Issele-Uku.
Preliminary investigations, according to the police, revealed that the suspects confessed to being members of the Maphite Confraternity.
Items recovered from the hideout included one double-barrel gun, seven live cartridges, one cutlass, a Maphite cult beret, seven Android phones and other exhibits believed to be linked to criminal activities.
The command said investigations are ongoing to unravel the suspects’ activities and identify other members of the group.
In a separate operation on the same day, operatives of the Abraka Division, acting on actionable intelligence, foiled a planned gathering of suspected criminals along Omono Road in Abraka.
The police said while several suspects escaped upon sighting the operatives, one suspect, identified as Wale Morakinyo, 27, was apprehended.
A search conducted on a bag found in his possession led to the recovery of two locally fabricated pistols and four live cartridges.
The suspect remains in police custody, while efforts have been intensified to track down and arrest the fleeing members of the group.
Reacting to the successful operations, the Commissioner of Police, Delta State Command, CP Yemi Oyeniyi, reaffirmed the command’s commitment to sustaining intelligence-led operations aimed at dismantling criminal networks and curbing cult-related violence across the state.
He urged residents to continue partnering with the police by providing timely and credible information that would assist security agencies in protecting lives and property and ensuring a safer Delta State.
