Sacred No More: Ex-Police PRO Slams Church Robbery as Moral Decay Hits New Low in Delta

Delta State police have smashed what they describe as a suspected robbery network after intercepting two Toyota Sienna vans loaded with musical equipment along the Warri-Sapele Road, arresting a key suspect and uncovering a hideout stacked with guns, air conditioners and other valuables allegedly linked to church thefts and wider armed robberies.

On September 19, 2026, operatives of the Orerokpe Division, working with the Civilian Anti-Cult group in Osubi, grew suspicious of the two vehicles and their occupants. When the security team approached, the suspects reportedly leapt out and fled. One of them, 45-year-old Lawrence Onowenakpo, was arrested on the spot.

A search of the vans allegedly turned up three locally made single-barrelled long guns and a live cartridge alongside the musical instruments. Police said some of the equipment was suspected to have been stolen from a church, though the specific place of worship and the exact date of the alleged raid were not immediately named.

Questioning of Onowenakpo allegedly led investigators to a scrapyard in Warri believed to have served as the gang’s operational base.

There, officers recovered a large haul that included 22 air conditioners, 13 washing machines, 29 motorcycle and tricycle engines, three motorcycles, television sets, a generator, a laptop and additional musical equipment. Police linked the suspected network to recent armed robbery incidents in the Kwale and Warri areas.

Onowenakpo reportedly identified Ajeh Zephaniah, also known as “Fanta,” as the alleged leader of the group. Zephaniah and other suspected members remain at large and are being sought. The Delta State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Bright Edafe, said investigations continue, while Commissioner of Police Samuel E. Erale praised the officers and members of the public who provided useful information, urging residents to keep cooperating with security agencies.

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The incident has drawn sharp comment from Deputy Commissioner of Police Olumuyiwa Adejobi, the former Force Public Relations Officer now serving as DCP Operations in Delta State. Reacting on social media, Adejobi decried what he called the deepening moral decadence in the country. He recalled that in earlier times people fled to churches seeking refuge, yet today places of worship themselves have become targets of kidnapping and armed robbery.

Church robberies have been a recurring headache in parts of Delta. In previous operations this year and last, police have dismantled other syndicates accused of targeting worship centres for musical instruments, solar equipment and other valuables, sometimes recovering items valued in tens of millions of naira. The latest arrest underscores both the persistence of the problem and the continued efforts by security operatives to disrupt the networks behind it.
For many residents, the desecration of sacred spaces cuts deeper than ordinary theft. It raises uncomfortable questions about the erosion of traditional respect for places of worship and the broader challenge of insecurity that continues to test communities across the state. Police say the hunt for the remaining suspects is ongoing.