The Delta State Police Command has recorded another major breakthrough in its ongoing campaign against robbery and property-related crimes, arresting four suspected members of an alleged phone theft syndicate and recovering nine brand-new Android phones believed to have been stolen from retail outlets across Asaba and its environs.

Confirming the development, the police Public Relations Officer PPRO SP Bright Edafe said, the arrests followed a series of complaints by shop owners over the theft of expensive mobile phones from their stores.

Edafe hinted that the police operatives acted on credible intelligence and technical intelligence in tracking the suspects to their hideout along St. Brigid’s Road, Asaba, where they were apprehended on July 25, 2026.

The suspects were identified as Johna Omarocha, Kelvin Onogho, Nkechi Nnaji, and Ufuoma Joshua, he added

“A search conducted at the hideout led to the recovery of nine brand-new Android phones, all still in their original cartons. Police investigations revealed that the suspects allegedly belong to an organised criminal syndicate that specialises in stealing new mobile phones from retail shops within Asaba and neighbouring communities.

“According to preliminary findings, the syndicate allegedly disguised themselves as genuine customers visiting shops and supermarkets to purchase items.

” While pretending to shop, members of the group reportedly used newspapers to conceal mobile phones displayed in the stores before secretly carting them away without raising suspicion.

“Investigators further disclosed that the female suspect allegedly played a strategic role in the operation by way billing the stolen phones to Lagos, where the International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) numbers of the devices were reportedly altered before the phones were resold, making it difficult to trace them to their rightful owners”, he further narrated.

Bright Edafe said the suspects have allegedly confessed to their involvement in the criminal enterprise, while efforts are ongoing to arrest other fleeing members of the syndicate and identify the legitimate owners of the recovered phones.

The four suspects remain in police custody and are expected to be charged to court upon the conclusion of investigations, he said.

Reacting to the development, the Commissioner of Police, Delta State Command, CP Yemi Oyeniyi, reaffirmed his resolve to combat all forms of crime and protect lives and property across the state.

He urged shop owners, business operators and members of the public to remain vigilant, strengthen security measures around their business premises, and promptly report suspicious persons or activities to the police to aid proactive crime prevention. (The Guardian)

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