…I’ll Not Allow Any Ethnic Group To Destabilise My Administration – Oborevwori Warns
…Orders Security Agencies To Fish Out Killers Of Urhobo Warri Youth Leader
By Theophilus Onojeghen
Delta State Governor, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori, on Monday, inspected a cache of sophisticated weapons intercepted by the Department of State Security Services (DSS) being conveyed to Warri to prosecute the recent ethnic tension among the three tribes in Warri Federal Constituency.
The arms, said to have been hidden in a car dashboard, were recovered from a gunrunner and secondary school teacher from Taraba State identified as Stephen Sabo Atoshi.
The suspect was alleged to have brought the weapon into the country from Sebha in Southern Libya through Chad via an illegal border in Gidam, Yobe State.
Among the weapons recovered from the suspect were seven General Purpose Machine Guns (GPMGs), several AK-47 rifles, five hand grenades, and other military-grade weapons.
There had been rising tension in Warri over the Supreme Court-ordered fresh delineation of electoral wards in the Warri Federal Constituency between the Urhobo, Itsekiri, and Ijaw ethnic nationalities in the city.
But speaking after inspecting the weapons, Governor Oborevwori said his administration would not tolerate any act of violence, stressing that no ethnic nationality can destabilise his government.
“You can see the kind of weapons they brought to Delta State. Is it not madness? Who do you want to kill in Delta State? You want to destabilise this government? We can’t take it from any ethnic nationality. Never and never! We will not take it”, Oborevwori stated.
The governor ordered a comprehensive crackdown on criminal networks and their gangs, disclosing that he had directed security agencies to go after sponsors of the arms.
“I am very delighted to be here today. I had to leave another important engagement to be here because the breakthrough recorded by our security agencies is highly commendable and significant to the peace and safety of our state,” Oborevwori said.
He praised the DSS and other security agencies for their “strategic intelligence, coordination, and determination,” which led to the recovery of the arms, adding that the success reflected Delta State’s strong commitment to peace and public safety.
“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,” he cautioned.
Oborevwori also warned that anyone involved in killings, violence, or arms smuggling would be tracked down and prosecuted. He stressed that Delta remained a peaceful and investor-friendly state and vowed to resist any attempt to destabilise it.
“Bringing in heavy arms and ammunition of this nature is unacceptable and a direct threat to our collective peace. We will not allow it under any circumstances,” he stressed, urging residents to cooperate with security agencies to keep the state safe.
Oborevwori also directed the security operatives to arrest the suspected killers of one Mr. Jerry Aduara, an indigene of Okere-Urhobo Kingdom in Warri, who was a two-time chairman of the Odion Urhobo Youth Council and member of the Warri South Local Government Peace Committee.
The governor said, “I have directed security agencies to arrest the person who shot and killed somebody in Warri. They should look for that person and bring him to book, including those backing him. Nobody involved will go scot-free because this is Delta State, and we want peace.”
Earlier, the Deputy Director of Operations of the DSS, Delta State Command, Mr. Anthony Ifemeje, briefed the governor on the intelligence-led operation that led to the arrests.
According to him, the operation, which took place on October 12, 2025, within the Asaba metropolis, resulted in the capture of a notorious arms dealer, identified as Stephen Sabo Atoshi, and his accomplice, a 40-year-old secondary school teacher from Taraba State.
Ifemeje revealed that the suspects were part of a network trafficking small arms and light weapons from Sebha in southern Libya through Chad into Nigeria via an illegal border in Gidam, Yobe State.
“During interrogation, the prime suspect confessed to garnering eight years in the illegal trade and to having supplied over 55 weapons, including General Purpose Machine Guns (GPMGs) and AK-47 rifles, across the country,” Ifemeje disclosed.
Items recovered included seven GPMGs, several AK-47 rifles, five hand grenades, and other military-grade weapons, some concealed in bags of beans transported from the North to the Oko Food Market along the Asaba–Onitsha Expressway.
The DSS also uncovered 497 cartons of fake drugs intended for distribution within the state.
Ifemeje assured the government of the command’s continuous vigilance and determination to cut off arms supply routes and dismantle criminal networks operating in Delta.
