Edo State intensified its crackdown on kidnappings at the weekend, as security forces stormed and demolished a major criminal hideout in Egbai community, arresting two suspected ringleaders and signalling a tougher, more aggressive security posture under Governor Monday Okpebholo.
The operation, carried out by the Edo State Special Security Squad in Ovia North-East Local Government Area, followed what officials described as high-level, intelligence-led surveillance, marking one of the most decisive strikes yet against organised kidnapping networks in the state.
The suspects, identified as Anthony Fedigha Ebimienwei and Luke Disemoh, were arrested and later confessed to their involvement in multiple abductions, including the kidnapping of one Blessing Nosa, for whom a ₦30 million ransom was reportedly collected.
Investigators said the suspects were tracked after allegedly abducting another businessperson and demanding an unprecedented ₦500 million ransom, a development that triggered an expanded multi-agency operation and sustained manhunt, culminating in the dismantling of their operational base.
At the demolition site, the Coordinator of the Edo State Special Security Squad, Noah Idemudia, said the action was in strict compliance with Governor Okpebholo’s directive to shift from reactive to offensive policing.
“These individuals have been in this trade for some time. Let it be known that Edo State is not a safe haven for kidnappers,” Idemudia warned, adding that similar operations would continue across the state.
Community backing for the operation was swift and vocal. The Okaighele (youth leader) of Egbai community, Aghaku Ihanuwaze, said the demolished property had long served as a source of fear and insecurity for residents.
“For years, criminal elements exploited our area. This intervention is courageous and long overdue,” he said, praising the governor’s decisive approach.
The operation forms part of Governor Okpebholo’s wider security reforms, which include strengthened rural surveillance, expanded community intelligence networks and tighter inter-agency coordination, measures that security analysts say are beginning to alter Edo’s crime landscape.
The high-profile demolition sends a clear political and security signal: the Okpebholo administration is prepared to deploy hard deterrence to reclaim ungoverned spaces and dismantle organised crime networks. Civil rights groups are expected to closely monitor the strategy, while security agencies plan further intelligence-led operations across flashpoint communities.
For residents who have lived in fear, the rubble in Egbai is more than demolition debris, it is a public statement that the era of safe havens for kidnappers in Edo State may finally be coming to an end.
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