The Delta State Police Command has confirmed the death of a suspected kidnap kingpin, Liberty Kunu, popularly known as Commander Liberty or Double Agent, following a gun battle with operatives in Sapele area of the state.
The Commissioner of Police, Aina Adesola, disclosed this in a statement on Wednesday, saying Kunu was fatally injured during an operation to recover an AK-47 rifle allegedly hidden by the suspect and his gang.
The police said the operation followed a series of complaints linking Kunu and his gang to kidnapping, abduction and other violent crimes in Sapele and its environs.
Adesola said trouble started on January 17, 2026, at about 6pm, when three persons were abducted at Boyo Road Junction, Sapele, and taken to an unknown destination.
“One of the victims escaped on the way to the bush and reported the incident at a police station, while the other two victims were robbed of valuables worth about N9m,” the CP said.
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Preliminary investigations, according to him, revealed that the abduction and armed robbery were carried out by a syndicate led by Kunu, who allegedly operated under the guise of security volunteers known as SOS.
Acting on the intelligence, operatives of the CP’s Special Assignment Team, in collaboration with officers from the Sapele Division, arrested Kunu and five other suspects identified as Twale Golly (33), Michael Kunu (25), Israel Ugwu (30), Ogaga Power (43), and Mercy Kunu (28).
The police said five pump-action guns, one Beretta pistol and other incriminating items were recovered from the suspects.
Further investigations allegedly revealed that Kunu was a member of the Aye confraternity and was in possession of an AK-47 rifle. The CP said the suspect later led operatives to a hideout in the Ibada-Elume community on January 28, 2026, where one AK-47 rifle and a locally fabricated revolver were recovered from a forest.
Adesola said while the police team was retreating from the area, they were ambushed on the Ibada-Elume Express Road by hoodlums suspected to be members of the gang, who attempted to free Kunu.
“A gun duel ensued for over 10 minutes. The suspects fled after running out of ammunition, some with gunshot injuries. Our operational vehicle was riddled with bullets,” he said.
The CP added that Kunu and some operatives sustained gunshot wounds and were rushed to the hospital, where the suspect was confirmed dead on arrival. His corpse has been deposited at the General Hospital, Sapele.
Other members of the gang are still in police custody, while investigation continues, the command said.
