Edo Police Arrest 113 Suspected Kidnappers in Coordinated Raids

The Edo State Police Command has arrested 113 suspected kidnappers during coordinated security operations in Edo North and Edo Central.

In a Statement issued on Thursday, the Command’s Police Public Relations Officer, Eno Ikoedem, said the operation was intelligence-driven and carried out in the early hours of the day at about 3:00 a.m.

According to the statement, the operation was led by the Commissioner of Police, Monday Agbonika, who personally oversaw a joint task force comprising operatives of the Nigeria Police Force, the Nigerian Army, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, vigilante groups, and local hunters.

“Acting on credible intelligence that ransom proceeds from kidnapping activities were being discreetly received and coordinated at identified ‘Zangos’ in Agbede and Iruekpen, the Commissioner of Police personally led a formidable joint task force… in a synchronised enforcement action,” the statement read.

The raids targeted zango settlements in Agbede and Iruekpen, where suspected kidnappers and their collaborators were believed to converge to receive ransom payments and regroup among unsuspecting members of the public.

Ikoedem stated that all 113 arrested suspects are currently undergoing thorough profiling to determine their level of involvement, adding that those found culpable would face the full weight of the law.

The Commissioner of Police reiterated that the command’s onslaught against organised kidnapping networks would remain relentless and uncompromising. He said the police would not only target armed elements in the forests but would also intensify efforts to degrade their financial and human support systems across the state.

Agbonika called on residents to remain vigilant and continue providing timely and credible information to security agencies, assuring that all intelligence received would be treated with the highest level of confidentiality.

He affirmed that the Edo State Police Command remained firm, proactive, and battle-ready to safeguard lives and property, warning that there would be no sanctuary for kidnappers or their collaborators anywhere in the state.

The development comes amid recent security challenges in the state. Harmattan news  had earlier reported that gunmen killed a high-ranking palace chief in Iduah Kingdom, Esan West Local Government Area, and abducted two of his daughters.

The victim, Chief Jimah Jacob Ogboi, was attacked at his residence on Monday night, with his wife also sustaining serious injuries from machete wounds.