Police trace pistol linked to Ogidi killing, arrest four suspected gun runners

The Delta State Police Command says it has uncovered a gun-running syndicate linked to the Beretta pistol that led to the fatal shooting of 28-year-old Oghenemine “Mena” Ogidi, arresting four suspected members of the network.

The arrests came 44 days after Ogidi was shot dead by Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Usman Nuhu during an encounter at a commercial motor park in Effurun, Delta State.

Ogidi was killed on April 26, 2026, while attempting to deliver a parcel containing a Beretta pistol and four rounds of live ammunition. A video of the incident, which circulated widely on social media, showed him pleading with the officer to help identify the sender of the package before he was shot, sparking public outrage and renewed concerns about extrajudicial killings.

Providing an update on the investigation on Monday, Delta State Commissioner of Police, Olufemi Abaniwonda Oyeniyi, said detectives traced the firearm through a chain of transactions involving four suspects arrested in Bayelsa and Imo states.

According to the police commissioner, the suspects identified as Emmanuel Chukwuemeka, Clifford Boleyelefa, Amadi Princewill and Amadi Felix Chibuike are believed to be members of a gun-running syndicate connected to the recovered weapon.

“As a follow-up on the case of unlawful possession of a Beretta pistol recovered at a park in Effurun, Uvwie Local Government Area on May 1, 2026, four suspects who are part of the gun-running syndicate have been arrested,” Oyeniyi said.

He disclosed that Emmanuel Chukwuemeka was arrested in Bayelsa State on May 4 alongside his roommate, whose phone was allegedly used to facilitate communication during the purchase of the firearm.

Investigations revealed that Chukwuemeka purchased the pistol from Amadi Princewill for N290,000 before reselling it to a suspect identified simply as Desmond, who remains at large, for N380,000.

Police said Desmond subsequently arranged for the firearm to be transported to Effurun and contacted Ogidi to collect and forward it to Sapele.

Acting on information obtained from Chukwuemeka, detectives tracked and arrested Princewill in Imo State on May 15.

During interrogation, Princewill reportedly told investigators that he had purchased the pistol from Amadi Felix for N200,000.

This led to the arrest of Felix in Owerri on May 16.

The police said their investigation established that the firearm changed hands three times, with its value rising from N200,000 to N290,000 and later N380,000 before it reached Delta State.

Oyeniyi further alleged that all four suspects are members of the Black Axe confraternity.

He said the suspects would be charged to court upon the conclusion of investigations, adding that efforts are ongoing to apprehend other members of the syndicate, including Desmond, who remains on the run.

The police commissioner said the investigation remains active as authorities work to dismantle the network responsible for the circulation of illegal firearms in the region.