The Delta State Police Command has arrested four suspected members of a gunrunning syndicate linked to the recovery of a Beretta pistol at a transport park in Effurun, Uvwie Local Government Area, on May 1, 2026.
Speaking during a press briefing in Asaba, the Commissioner of Police, Yemi Oyeniyi, said the arrests followed a painstaking investigation and intelligence-led operations conducted across Bayelsa and Imo states.
The suspects, identified as Emmanuel Chukwuemeka, Clifford Boleyelefa, Amadi Princewill, and Amadi Felix Chibuike, were apprehended in connection with the illegal firearm trafficking network.
According to the police commissioner, the first suspect, Emmanuel Chukwuemeka, was arrested in Bayelsa State on May 4, 2026, alongside his friend and roommate whose phone was allegedly used to facilitate communication during the purchase of the firearm. During interrogation, Chukwuemeka reportedly confessed to purchasing the Beretta pistol from Amadi Princewill for N290,000 before reselling it to a suspect identified as Desmond, who remains at large, for N380,000. Investigators said Desmond subsequently arranged for the weapon to be transported to Effurun and contacted one Oghenemine Ogidi, now deceased, to retrieve and forward it to Sapele.
The investigation led operatives to Imo State, where Amadi Princewill was arrested on May 15. Princewill allegedly told investigators that he had obtained the firearm from another suspect, Amadi Felix Chibuike, for N200,000. Acting on the information, police operatives tracked and arrested Felix in Owerri on May 16.
CP Oyeniyi disclosed that all the arrested suspects are alleged members of the Black Axe confraternity. He said they would be charged to court upon the conclusion of investigations, while efforts have been intensified to apprehend other members of the syndicate, including the fugitive suspect, Desmond. The commissioner reaffirmed the command’s commitment to combating illegal arms trafficking and other forms of criminality across the state.
