The Delta State Police Command has arrested four suspected members of a phone theft syndicate allegedly responsible for stealing brand-new mobile phones from retail shops in Asaba and its environs, recovering nine Android phones believed to have been stolen during the operation.
The police said the suspects were apprehended following intelligence-led operations targeting a series of reported phone thefts from shops across the Delta State capital.
The spokesperson for the command, SP Bright Edafe, disclosed this in a statement on Monday, saying the suspects were arrested on July 25, 2026, at their hideout along St. Brigid’s Road, Asaba.
Phone theft remains one of the common property crimes reported in major urban centres, with criminal syndicates increasingly deploying sophisticated methods to steal, reprogram and resell mobile devices, making recovery difficult for owners and investigators.
According to the statement, the suspects were identified as Johna Omarocha, Kelvin Onogho, Nkechi Nnaji and Ufuoma Joshua.
Edafe said a search of the hideout led to the recovery of nine brand-new Android phones still in their cartons.
He said preliminary investigations revealed that the suspects belonged to a syndicate specialising in stealing new phones from retail outlets in Asaba and neighbouring communities.
The police spokesperson said the suspects had confessed to the crime, while efforts were ongoing to arrest other fleeing members of the gang and identify the owners of the recovered phones.
He said, “Following a series of reported stealing of mobile phones from shops in Asaba and its environs, operatives of the command, acting on credible intelligence and technical intelligence analysis, on 25 July 2026, arrested four suspects at their hideout along St. Brigid’s Road, Asaba. The suspects are Johna Omarocha (m), Kelvin Onogho (m), Nkechi Nnaji (f), and Ufuoma Joshua (m).
“A search of the hideout led to the recovery of nine brand new Android phones still in their cartons. Preliminary investigation indicates that the suspects are members of a syndicate specialising in stealing brand new phones from retail shops within Asaba and its environs.
“The suspects have reportedly confessed to the crime, while efforts are ongoing to arrest other fleeing members of the syndicate and identify the owners of the recovered phones.”
Edafe explained that the syndicate allegedly employed a coordinated method of operation to evade detection.
According to him, the suspects disguised themselves as genuine customers visiting shops and supermarkets before concealing mobile phones with newspapers and walking away with them unnoticed.
He added, “Preliminary investigation revealed that the suspects, in the guise of buying items from shops and supermarkets, use newspapers to cover phones in the shop and cart away with the phones when leaving the shops.
“The syndicate engages the female suspect among them, who then waybills the phones to Lagos, where the IMEI numbers of the phones are altered and then sell the phones. The four suspects are in custody and will be charged to court as soon as investigation is concluded.”
Reacting to the development, the Commissioner of Police, Delta State Command, Yemi Oyeniyi, commended the operatives for the successful operation and reaffirmed the command’s commitment to tackling robbery and other property-related crimes across the state.
He also urged members of the public, particularly shop owners and business operators, to remain vigilant and promptly report suspicious persons or activities to the police.
