Delta Police Launch Operation Velvet After Over 50 Die In Road Crashes

More than 50 people have reportedly died in road crashes and other preventable incidents across Delta State between July and the second week of September 2026.

The development has prompted the Delta State Police Command to launch a statewide enforcement operation, code-named Operation Velvet, to tackle reckless driving and other traffic violations.

The operation, which commenced on Tuesday, will focus on motorists who drive against traffic, popularly known as one-way, operate unregistered vehicles or violate other road safety regulations on highways and major roads across the state.

The command’s spokesperson, SP Bright Edafe, disclosed this on Monday, expressing concern over the rising number of fatalities recorded within the period.

Edafe said several of the deaths were linked to road traffic crashes and other preventable or induced incidents, stressing that greater caution and compliance with traffic regulations by motorists and other road users could have prevented some of the fatalities.

He warned motorists against driving against traffic, saying anyone caught committing the offence would be arrested and prosecuted.

According to him, the enforcement operation is not aimed at inconveniencing law-abiding motorists but at protecting lives and restoring discipline on the state’s roads.

The police spokesperson also directed vehicle owners and operators to ensure that their vehicles were properly registered and complied with all statutory requirements before being put on the road.

“There will be no mercy for anyone caught,” Edafe warned.

He said officers deployed for Operation Velvet had been directed to enforce traffic regulations without fear or favour, adding that the exercise would cover highways and major roads across Delta State.

Edafe urged motorists, commercial transport operators and other road users to take the warning seriously and cooperate with police officers during the operation.

He said the command would sustain the enforcement effort as part of measures to curb reckless driving and other activities capable of causing avoidable deaths, with the ultimate objective of making Delta State’s roads safer for all users.