The police command in Delta has killed four members of a gang which specialised in kidnapping.
The spokesman for the command, DSP Bright Edafe, disclosed this on Wednesday in Warri.
Edafe said that the hoodlums were killed on Monday by operatives of the command during a patrol on the Jesse/ Igueleba Road.
He said that the armed gang members sighted the patrol vehicle from their hideout, deflated its front tyre and engaged the patrol team on a gun duel.
“Due to reported incidents of kidnapping on Jesse axis of the state, the Commissioner of Police, Mr Wale Abass, directed deployment of operatives of the Special Anti-kidnapping and Cyber Crime Squad and DOPS Bufallo team, among others, to the area.
“Consequently, on Sept. 18, during a joint patrol on Jesse – Igueleba Road, the team encountered a gang of armed bandits who laid ambush to attack and kidnap unsuspecting motorists.
“The hoodlums fired at the front tyre of the lead pickup van; thus, demobilising the vehicle.
“They were swiftly engaged in a gun duel by the police team. The armed bandits eventually succumbed to the superior firepower of the policemen,” he said.
According to the spokesman, the police team pursued the bandits into a deep forest during which four of them were killed.
The police spokesman said that one Ak-47 rifle with 20 rounds of live ammunition, two locally-made cut-to-size guns and cartridges were recovered from them.
