Delta State Governor Sheriff Oborevwori has ordered an immediate and comprehensive crackdown on criminal networks following the interception of a cache of sophisticated weapons by the Department of State Services (DSS) in Asaba.
The governor, who visited the Delta State Command of the DSS on Monday, described the operation as a major breakthrough in the state’s ongoing fight against insecurity. He commended the DSS for its intelligence-led efforts, calling the seizure “a significant victory for the people of Delta and a strong message to criminal elements.”
“I am very delighted to be here today,” Oborevwori said. “I had to leave another important engagement because the breakthrough recorded by our security agencies is highly commendable. This success reflects our collective commitment to peace and public safety.”
Oborevwori praised the DSS and other security formations for their “strategic coordination and determination,” saying their work reinforces Delta’s position as one of Nigeria’s most security-conscious states. He warned that his administration would not tolerate any form of criminality or lawlessness, particularly in Warri and its surrounding areas.
“Those planning to cause crisis should have a rethink. We want peace, not trouble,” the governor cautioned. “We are working tirelessly to open up Warri for investors and economic growth, but where there is violence, investors will stay away.”
He emphasized that the government would pursue and prosecute anyone involved in killings, violence, or arms smuggling, stressing that Delta remains a peaceful and investor-friendly state. “Bringing in heavy arms and ammunition of this nature is unacceptable and a direct threat to our collective peace. We will not allow it under any circumstance,” he declared.
The governor also addressed the recent killing of Jerry Aduara, a youth leader from the Okere-Urhobo Kingdom and member of the Warri South Peace Committee. Oborevwori directed security agencies to track down and arrest those responsible, warning that “nobody involved will go scot-free.”
“I have instructed security agencies to find the person who shot and killed somebody in Warri and bring him to justice, including those backing him,” he said. “This is Delta State. We want peace, and no one will be allowed to disrupt it.”
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He reaffirmed his administration’s resolve to preserve peace, unity, and development across the state, vowing that no individual or group would be permitted to take the law into their own hands.
Earlier, the Deputy Director of Operations at the DSS Delta Command, Mr. Anthony Ifemeje, briefed the governor on the intelligence operation that led to the arrests.
According to him, the operation, conducted on October 12, 2025, in Asaba, resulted in the capture of a notorious arms dealer, Stephen Sabo Atoshi, and his accomplice, a 40-year-old secondary school teacher from Taraba State.
Ifemeje explained that the suspects were part of a cross-border network trafficking arms from Sebha, Libya, through Chad into Nigeria via an illegal border in Gidam, Yobe State. “During interrogation, the prime suspect confessed to eight years in the illegal arms trade and to having supplied over 55 weapons, including GPMGs and AK-47 rifles, across the country,” he said.
Recovered items included seven General Purpose Machine Guns (GPMGs), several AK-47 rifles, five hand grenades, and other military-grade weapons concealed in bags of beans transported from the North to the Oko Food Market along the Asaba–Onitsha Expressway.
The DSS also uncovered 497 cartons of fake drugs meant for distribution within the state.
Ifemeje assured the governor of the command’s continued vigilance and commitment to dismantling criminal networks and blocking arms supply routes.
