The Edo State Police Command has recorded a major breakthrough in its crackdown on kidnapping syndicates, arresting a suspected kidnapper and recovering the decomposing body of one of three women abducted from their residence in Ovia North-East Local Government Area of the State.
The suspect, identified as Musa Haruna, 23, was arrested with a gunshot wound following an intensive manhunt by operatives of the Command’s Violent Crime Response Unit (VCRU) and the Police Drone Unit.
The victims, Mrs. Favour Nosakhare, 66, Mrs. Emmanuel Annabel Osasere, 28, and Miss Rejoice Otikpere, 26, were kidnapped on May 9, 2026, when armed men stormed their residence in Iyowa Community and dragged them into a nearby forest.
The abduction sparked widespread outrage after the kidnappers reportedly contacted the victims’ families through a video call, during which the women were seen being brutally flogged and tortured while ransom was demanded for their release.
Determined to rescue the victims and dismantle the criminal network, the police launched coordinated tactical and intelligence-led operations across forests and criminal hideouts in Ovia North-East and adjoining areas, deploying drone surveillance and other technological resources.
According to the Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Eno Ikioedem, the breakthrough came on May 19 when operatives tracked the gang to a hideout along a powerline corridor within the forest.
The suspects reportedly engaged the police in a fierce gun battle but fled into the bush after being overwhelmed by the superior firepower of the operatives.
A blood-soaked jacket and spent AK-47 ammunition were recovered from the scene, while surveillance and tracking operations were intensified.
Further details obtained by this online newspaper revealed that the investigation later led to the arrest of Haruna, who police described as a member of a notorious kidnapping and armed robbery syndicate operating along the Benin-Lagos Road and Old Benin-Akure Road corridors.
During interrogation, the suspect allegedly confessed to participating in the abduction and subsequently led detectives into a dense forest in Ogwa Community, Ovia North-East Local Government Area.
There, on June 2, 2026, operatives recovered two decomposing bodies.
Police confirmed that one of the bodies was identified by family members as Mrs. Favour Nosakhare, one of the women abducted during the May 9 attack.
The Command said efforts have been intensified to track down and arrest other members of the syndicate who remain at large.
Commending the operatives for their resilience and professionalism, the Commissioner of Police, Edo State Command, Monday Agbonika, praised the VCRU and Drone Unit for their dedication, which led to the breakthrough.
The police commissioner also appealed to members of the public to continue providing credible and actionable information, assuring residents that the Command remains committed to protecting lives and property.
He vowed that all members of the notorious criminal gang would be apprehended and made to face the full weight of the law.
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