Eight suspects fingered in the murder of a Deputy Superintendent of Police, (DSP) Sunday Okoebor, in Asaba, Delta State, have been arrested by Troops of the Nigerian Army.

The police officer was shot dead during a robbery attempt at a residential neighbourhood in Asaba on Tuesday, November 28, 2023.

Chief of Staff of the 63 Brigade Headquarters in Asaba, Col. Ibrahim Gambari who paraded the suspects said two of them were wounded during the operation while two others escaped with arms.

According to him, the army operatives mobilised when they got information about the killing of the police officer in Koka area of the state capital.

Gambari said his men were joined by the state police command ‘Operation Hawk’ who exchanged fire with the criminals.

“At about 3 a.m. on Tuesday, men of Operation Still Water II responded to a distress call about the robbery. We got there and met an exchange of gunfire. The robbers had gunned down a police officer and our men engaged them in another gun duel,” he said.

“In the process, two of the suspects were shot and captured along with eight others, while two others managed to escape with bullet wounds,”

“After the incident, troops again mobilized to the criminal hotspots in the area where 125 others were arrested and out of which eight of them were identified by residents as those who have been robbing them of their properties and terrorizing their areas,”

“We are going to hand them over to the police. We are only doing this ‘Operation Still Water’ to ensure a safe environment particularly this ember months, to maintain peace,” Gambari added.

Items recovered from them include locally-made pistols with live cartridges, laptops, jewelry, phones and other electronic gadgets stolen from residents of the neighbourhood.