Three Years On: DSS Nabs, Arraigns Suspects In Brutal Killing Of Four Soldiers, Beheading Of Community Leader

Three years after the gruesome murder of four Nigerian soldiers in Ashaka Aboh, Ndokwa East Local Government Area of Delta State, the Department of State Services (DSS) has recorded a major breakthrough with the arrest and arraignment of two prime suspects linked to the crime.

Security sources disclosed that the suspects, identified as Ufuoma Sunday James and Lawrence Umuakpero Oboguayivwgue, were apprehended in January 2026 following sustained intelligence-led investigations.

They are also alleged to have played key roles in the beheading of Chief Okwudili Obi, popularly known as Odumodu, the self-proclaimed traditional ruler of Asemoku Community, during the violent communal crisis that rocked the area in 2023.

It would be recalled that in February 2023, soldiers deployed on a peacekeeping mission amid clashes between Kwale and Asemoku communities were ambushed by suspected hoodlums allegedly led by James. The attack resulted in the death of four soldiers and the theft of their service weapons.

According to credible security sources, the DSS had quietly pursued the case for over a year before actionable intelligence led to the arrest of the suspects. During interrogation, the duo reportedly confessed to their roles in the killings and admitted involvement in gun-running, kidnapping, and other violent crimes across the region.

“The DSS has been painstakingly investigating this case, and in January this year, accurate intelligence led to the successful arrest of the suspects,” a source revealed. “They have since been arraigned before a State High Court in Kwale, where the judge ordered their remand in a correctional facility pending trial.”

Another source described the arrests as a significant milestone in the DSS’s efforts to crack long-standing violent crime cases.
“This breakthrough demonstrates the DSS’s resolve to pursue justice regardless of how much time has passed,” the source said. “It also reinforces the effectiveness of coordinated intelligence operations and sends a strong message that attacks on security personnel and communities will not go unpunished.”