Harvest of Kidnappers as Edo Police unleash massive operations

By Jethro Ibileke

The Edo State Police Command has recorded a series of major breakthroughs in its fight against kidnapping and violent crime, rescuing several abducted victims and arresting multiple suspects during coordinated, intelligence-led operations across the state.

The Command’s spokesperson, Eno Ikoedem, disclosed this in a statement issued on Monday evening, describing the operations as part of sustained efforts to suppress criminal activities and strengthen public safety.

According to Ikoedem, one of the key operations took place on Saturday, January 24, 2026, when police operatives, acting on credible intelligence, stormed a forest along the Benin–Lagos Expressway near Ohosu, where suspected kidnappers and armed hoodlums were believed to be regrouping.

The operation, led by CSP Sunday Ehimare and carried out in collaboration with hunters and vigilante groups, was met with armed resistance.

“Upon sighting the security operatives, the suspects opened fire,” Ikoedem said, adding that the police responded with superior firepower, forcing the criminals to flee into the bush. An AK-47 rifle loaded with 30 rounds of live ammunition was recovered after being abandoned by one of the fleeing suspects, while bush-combing operations in the area continue.

In another operation on Sunday, January 25, four suspected kidnappers were arrested during a drone-assisted bush-combing exercise at the Era/Idoha forest axis in Ekpoma.

The operation involved police tactical units, the Drone Department, the Edo State Security Corps, hunters and vigilantes, and was led by CSP Solomon Oseghale.

The suspects were identified as Mohammed Lawal, 62; Ashiru Ibrahim, 35; Abubakar Umoru, 30; and Umoru Ali, 35.

During the same operation, a 58-year-old farmer, Monday Adero, who was kidnapped on January 22 while heading to his farm in Okpella, was rescued.

Ikoedem said the kidnappers engaged operatives in a gun duel before fleeing, while one suspect, Gehi Ibrahim, 24, who sustained a gunshot injury, was later tracked to a hospital and arrested.

The police also rescued three members of the Isideh family abducted from their home in Emaudo, Ekpoma, during a joint operation involving the Nigerian Army and other security partners. The victims have since been reunited with their families.

In Esan West Local Government Area, a suspected kidnapper, Rabiu Mohammed Bello, 31, was arrested at Idoha Pipeline Community, while other suspects escaped with weapons and livestock. Additionally, 14 suspects were arrested in Uromi following a violent, cult-related disturbance, and a kidnapped couple was rescued in Ochodo Community, with five suspects apprehended in Igun Forest.

Commending the operations, the Commissioner of Police, Monday Agbonika, praised the synergy between security agencies and local partners, noting that the deployment of technology such as drones has significantly boosted operational efficiency.