The Edo State Police Command has recorded breakthroughs in its renewed crackdown on kidnapping and violent crimes across the State, with the arrest of six suspected kidnappers and the rescue of five victims in coordinated operations.
According to a statement by the Police Public Relations Officer, CSP Moses Joel Yamu, the operations were carried out under the directive of the Commissioner of Police, CP Monday Agbonika, and involved the combined efforts of divisional officers, vigilantes, and local hunters.
On 15 October 2025, operatives of the Ekpoma Division, acting on credible intelligence, intercepted and arrested two suspects, 27-year-old Rabiu Shehu and 28-year-old Hashiru Yusuf along Illeh Road, Ekpoma, while heading towards the forest through a pipeline route. The suspects were found with food supplies and a power bank, allegedly meant for criminal elements in the forest. They were riding a Qlink motorcycle with registration number KWC 014 QV. Upon interrogation, they confessed to being sent by one Medisara Idris, aged 35, to deliver the items to a herdsman inside the forest.
Similarly, on 23 September 2025, police operatives from the Uromi Division, working with vigilantes, arrested four suspected kidnappers, Muritala Abdullahi (33), Nasiru Rabiu (40), Yahaya Ibrahim (38), and Abdulmalik Salihu (27), along Uromi–Igueben Road by Eko-Ibadin Junction. Items recovered from them included ATM cards, SIM cards, a CJTF uniform, a dagger, a cutlass, charms, and suspected hard drugs. After investigation, the suspects were charged to court and convicted.
In another coordinated bush combing and rescue operation on 14 October 2025, the Iguobazuwa Division led a joint security team through Morgan and Michelin forests, resulting in the successful rescue of four kidnapped victims, Augustine Cecilia (45), Augustine Okaira (57), Mary Friday (38), and Okpaiso Comfort (67), all rescued unhurt.
On the same day, another victim, Faith Odine Osaghale (39), was rescued along Idegun Farm Road, Amedokhian, after police operatives and vigilantes engaged kidnappers in a gun battle, forcing the hoodlums to flee.
Commending the officers for their gallantry and professionalism, CP Agbonika praised the synergy between the police, local vigilantes, and the Edo State Security Corps. He reaffirmed the Command’s commitment to sustaining the onslaught against criminal elements and maintaining peace and safety across the State.
Residents were urged to remain law-abiding, vigilant, and to promptly report suspicious activities to the nearest police station or through the Command’s emergency lines.
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