A man, simply identified as Okotie, has died, while several others sustained injuries during a security raid at a hotel on River Road in the Abraka area of Delta State.
The incident occurred at around 9 a.m. on Wednesday.
SaharaReporters gathered that the raid, allegedly carried out by operatives linked to Omasan Mabiaku, the Executive Assistant and Special Adviser to the Delta State Governor, Sheriff Oborevwori, on Illicit Drug Control and Human Trafficking, has sparked outrage and calls for an investigation.
According to eyewitnesses, the incident began when two men stormed a compound housing a printing press, a photo studio, and a spa, detaining a staff member while another searched the premises.
When questioned, they claimed to be government operatives investigating illicit drugs and human trafficking. However, the business owners challenged their actions, stating that the compound had no links to such activities.
As tensions escalated, one of the operatives allegedly grabbed a resident and attempted to drag him away. Sensing a threat, those inside the compound locked the gates. Moments later, a larger force—including soldiers, police officers, and anti-cult operatives—stormed the premises, allegedly firing shots.
A senior officer, identified as “Omasa,” reportedly arrived at the scene and claimed responsibility for the raid. He attempted to defuse the situation, but by then, serious injuries had already been inflicted.
The violence continued as a resident identified as “Essay” arrived in his vehicle. An anti-cult operative allegedly shot at his bus tyre, causing it to burst. In the ensuing scuffle, an officer reportedly attempted to stab him, but he managed to disarm the attacker before the operatives fled.
The security team then proceeded to a hotel on River Road, where an altercation reportedly resulted in the fatal shooting of an individual. The deceased’s body was later deposited at a mortuary in Abraka.
Community members have raised concerns about the legitimacy of the raid, questioning why known drug-selling spots in the area were ignored while innocent business owners were targeted.
Allegations have also emerged against an informant named “Obasanjo,” whose brother is reportedly a major drug dealer in the area. Despite past petitions against him, no action has been taken.
One of the victims recounted: “My brother owns a printing press and a photo studio, and we also have a spa in the compound. The workers were shouting, so I came outside to see what was happening. I saw two men holding one of the staff members while another one was inside the company, searching the premises.
“When they came out, I asked, ‘Who are these people?’ They claimed they were government officials sent by Sheriff investigating illicit drugs and human trafficking.
“I asked them, ‘Did anyone report that there is a hotel or a chemist in this place?’ They didn’t respond. I then told them to leave the worker alone because these were legitimate employees, and the compound was strictly a business area.
“Immediately, one of the men grabbed me by my trousers and attempted to drag me. I asked, ‘What is the meaning of this nonsense?’ Since there were only four of them inside the compound, I told my people to lock the gate. As soon as the gate was closed, we saw soldiers, police officers, and anti-cult operatives force their way inside while firing their guns.
“One of the soldiers used his AK-47 to hit me directly in the face, injuring my eye. Meanwhile, another operative standing outside the gate used a machete to attack one of our workers.
“While we were still trying to understand what was happening, a man called Omasa, who was leading the operation, entered the compound. He started begging, but we asked him, ‘After all the damage you have caused, is begging all you can do to resolve this issue?’
“At that moment, my brother, Essay, arrived home and was about to enter the compound. Immediately, one of the anti-cult operatives fired at his bus, bursting his tyre. That incident escalated the situation. Essay came out to confront them, but one of the men tried to stab him from behind. I managed to grab the attacker and disarm him.
“After this, Omasa and his team hurriedly jumped into their vehicle and drove away. They went straight to a hotel on River Road. We don’t know exactly what happened there, but later, we heard that they killed someone inside the hotel.
“As I speak to you now, the corpse of the deceased is in the mortuary here in Abraka.
“What makes this situation even more suspicious is that there isn’t even a chemist in our compound, let alone any illegal activities. In fact, we are the ones fighting against those selling drugs in the area. There’s a known drug market about five compounds away from us, yet these operatives ignored that place and came straight to our compound.
“One of the major drug dealers in this area is a boy known as Obasanjo, who happens to be an informant for Omasa. His younger brother is one of the biggest drug dealers in the area, yet nothing has been done about him. I even personally wrote a petition against the boy, but no action was taken.”
“Now, they are lying that they were just passing by and had no knowledge of the person who died at the hotel. They are even claiming that we mobbed them when they entered our compound, but they don’t know that people were recording the entire incident from upstairs,” the witness stated.
The Delta State Police Command Public Relations Officer, Edafe Bright, confirmed the incident to SaharaReporters on Thursday, but said the victim died of high blood pressure.
“The victim was not killed by the operatives but died of high blood pressure during the raid,” he said.