Troops of the 63 Brigade, Nigerian Army/Sector 1, Joint Task Force, South South, codenamed Operation Delta Safe, have neutralised a leader of a cultist group in Delta State.
Another member of the group, identified as Stephen Fragene Pessu, was also arrested at the Pessu community in the Warri South local government area.
A statement signed by the Acting Assistant Director, Army Public Relations, 63 Brigade, Nigerian Army, Captain Iliyasu Bawa-Rijau, disclosed that the group was armed with lethal weapons used during recent clashes.
According to Captain Bawa-Rijau, “the arrested notorious suspect confessed to be a member of a dreaded gang terrorising the area and its environs and has provided credible information on their activities.”
The Army further revealed that the gang was implicated in several kidnapping-for-ransom cases, with evidence of payments made to secure the release of their victims. Captain Bawa-Rijau added, “Further investigation revealed that the group is armed with lethal weapons, used during recent clashes.”
He explained that the troops launched a follow-up operation, which led to a firefight. “The neutralised suspect, simply identified as Mr Dele, was shot dead, and a pump-action gun was recovered from the scene,” he said.
The Army spokesman confirmed that the operation was ongoing, with troops combing the general area to arrest other gang members, while efforts were also being intensified to recover the weapons in their possession.
Meanwhile, the Commander, 63 Brigade/Sector 1, JTF SS OPDS, Brigadier MA Shonibare, commended the troops for their resilience and charged them to “further clamp down on all criminal elements in the area.”
Brigadier Shonibare reassured residents of Delta State and its environs of their safety, stressing that the Brigade would continue to prioritise the protection of lives and property.
He urged citizens to go about their social and economic activities without fear, assuring that adequate measures have been put in place to guarantee their security.
