A leader of a kidnap syndicate, Joel Joseph has been reported killed.

He died after a gun battle with the Police Special Squad in Inene Community, Ughelli North Local Government Area.

The Police also recovered from the deceased suspect, one AK47 rifle loaded with 10 rounds of live ammunition.

According to Daily Post, the suspect died at the General Hospital, Ughelli where he was taken for treatment after the encounter.

Delta State Police Public Relations Officer SP Bright Edafe confirmed the report in a statement signed and made available to newsmen.

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He said the suspect who is a native of Ekakpamre Community in Ughelli North LGA opened fire on the police operatives upon sighting them.

According to SP Edafe, “In the ensuing gun duel, the suspect sustained serious gunshot injuries and was taken to the General Hospital Ughelli where he died while receiving treatment.”

He said, “Efforts are being intensified to arrest other gang members as contained in the intel.”

Fears and concerns have heightened over the disappearance of about 19 pump action guns reportedly donated to the local vigilante security team in the Awada community in the Idemili North Local Government Area of Anambra State.

The PUNCH gathered that the whereabouts of the guns became unknown during the handing over of the community’s security equipment to a newly engaged security outfit.

The development caused a mild drama at the community town hall on Sunday, when the community leaders, led by its newly-elected President-General, Patrick Oyeduba, and the executive members, discovered that out of the 27 pump action guns donated to the outgoing local vigilante, only eight were handed over, while the remaining 19 could not be accounted for.

The handing over of the security items, including the pump action guns, vehicles, motorcycles and other security gadgets was supervised by the police team from the Area Commander in Ogidi led by the leader of the patrol team, Inspector Hyginus Giwonke.

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Members of the community had in April, elected new executive members of the landlord association of the area, where Oyeduba emerged as the new President-General of the Awada Landlord Association.

Oyeduba, who spoke to journalists at the end of the handover, said the change of community leadership necessitated a total overhaul in the security architecture in the area to fortify security in the area.

He said, “Today, our community is changing its security architecture and personnel. A new security outfit under the Nigeria Police Community Policing led by Commander Jude Akachukwu has taken over today.

“This development became necessary because we want to fortify the security in the area by bringing in new personnel who will be loyal to the new leadership of the community.

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“In the past, we had lots of security concerns even though we had the local vigilante security team in place. In the last dispensation, the community witnessed many reported cases of stealing, kidnapping, burglary, armed robberies and attacks carried out by hoodlums around the community. This shows that the security on the ground then was not active and it became necessary for us as the new leadership to make the required change.

“The former security team did not live up to expectations and there are fears they might not be loyal to the new leadership, hence the need to change and overhaul the security apparatus of the community. With this development, there is a new dawn for the Awada community in terms of security as the people can now sleep with their two eyes closed.”

Oyeduba, while lamenting over the missing guns, said an official report would be made about the worrisome development.

Earlier, while advising the new security team, the Inspector from the Ogidi Area Command, Giwonke, who supervised the handover, told the personnel to ensure they were security conscious at all times.

The commander of the new security team, Jude Ukachukwu, assured the community of adequate security of lives and property.

“We will ensure that the people of Awada are well protected. We are also using this opportunity to fire a warning to the hoodlums disturbing the community’s peace because there would not be a hiding place for any criminal elements and criminalities in Awada anymore,” he added.

The Lagos State Police Command has rescued two infants who were locked up in an apartment on Adelakun Street, in the Iju Ishaga area of Lagos State.

The toddlers, The PUNCH gathered, were found in a state of neglect when the rescue operation took place.

A rights group, Advocate for Children and Vulnerable Persons Network, alleged that the mother of the infants had been grappling with substance abuse.

The Chief Operating Officer of the group, Ebenezer Omejalile, who disclosed this to our correspondent on Sunday, said the residents in the area alerted the group to the development.

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He said, “According to the informants, the mother, purportedly struggling with substance abuse issues, would lock her children inside their apartment and remain absent for the entirety of the day.

“These two minors were left to fend for themselves. They eat, defecate, sleep and wake up locked up in the room yet nothing was being done. The DPO of the Red House Police Station was duly informed about it and the infants were rescued.”

In a video watched by our correspondent, one of the infants could be seen crying in the locked-up apartment. In a separate video, the children were seen eating after the rescue operation.

Meanwhile, Omejalile said it was the second time the police would rescue the toddlers in such a situation.

According to him, the rescue operation was carried out by the former Divisional Police Officer but the children were returned to their mother after being placed under the care of government authorities.

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He said, “The incident was initially reported at the same police station several months ago. The then DPO promptly responded to the distress call and rescued the babies from their mother’s custody.

“Shockingly, despite the initial intervention by law enforcement, it has come to light that the children were subsequently returned to their mother’s care. This decision has left many baffled, including the former DPO who ensured the babies were placed under the care of government agencies.”

The state Police Public Relations Officer, Benjamin Hundeyin, confirmed the development.

He said, “The children were rescued. They are now in safe hands.”