In a decisive move to reinforce law and order, Delta State Governor, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori, has ordered an immediate and comprehensive crackdown on criminal networks across the state, following the interception of a large cache of sophisticated weapons by operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) in Asaba.
Governor Oborevwori, who visited the Delta State Command of the DSS on Monday, hailed the operation as a major breakthrough in the ongoing fight against insecurity, commending the agency’s intelligence driven efforts that led to the successful seizure. “I am very delighted to be here today. I had to leave another important engagement to be here because this breakthrough recorded by our security agencies is highly commendable and significant to the peace and safety of our state,” he said.
The governor lauded the DSS and other security formations for their strategic coordination and unwavering commitment, noting that their success underscored Delta’s determination to safeguard lives and property. He warned that his administration would not tolerate any form of lawlessness, especially in Warri and its environs, which he described as crucial to the state’s economic future.
“Those who are planning to cause crisis should have a rethink. We want peace, not trouble. We are working tirelessly to open up Warri for investors and economic growth, but where there is violence, investors will stay away,” Oborevwori cautioned, stressing that anyone involved in killings, violence, or arms smuggling would be tracked down and prosecuted.
He condemned the smuggling of heavy arms into the state, describing it as “a direct threat to collective peace.” The governor reaffirmed that Delta remains a peaceful, investor-friendly environment and vowed that his government would resist any attempt to destabilize it. He urged residents to support security agencies in maintaining the calm that defines the state’s development drive.
Speaking on the recent killing of Jerry Aduara, a respected Warri youth leader and former chairman of the Odion Urhobo Youth Council, Oborevwori directed security agencies to apprehend the culprit and his sponsors. “I have directed security agencies to arrest the person who shot and killed somebody in Warri. Nobody involved will go scot-free because this is Delta State, and we want peace,” he declared.
Earlier, the Deputy Director of Operations, DSS Delta Command, Mr. Anthony Ifemeje, briefed the governor on the intelligence led operation that uncovered the arms stockpile. He revealed that on October 12, 2025, agents arrested a notorious arms trafficker, Stephen Sabo Atoshi, and his accomplice, a 40-year-old schoolteacher from Taraba State, who were part of a transnational smuggling ring moving weapons from Libya through Chad into Nigeria via an illegal route in Yobe.
According to Ifemeje, the suspects admitted to trading in arms for eight years, supplying over 55 weapons,
including GPMGs and AK-47 rifles, across the country. The operation also yielded seven GPMGs, several AK-47s, five hand grenades, and 497 cartons of fake drugs concealed in bags of beans. He assured that the DSS remains vigilant and committed to dismantling criminal supply chains and maintaining peace across Delta State.
