Police Rescue All 13 Victims Abducted Along Benin-Lagos Expressway

The Edo State Police Command has rescued all 13 passengers abducted by suspected kidnappers along the Benin-Lagos expressway, following a coordinated operation involving aerial surveillance, drones, and bush-combing tactics.

The command’s spokesperson, ASP Eno Ikoedem, announced this in a statement on Saturday in Benin City. She said the passengers were abducted on May 9 at Ogua Community along the Benin-Lagos road when armed hoodlums attacked a commercial bus belonging to Young Shall Grow Motors travelling from Akwa Ibom to Lagos. A female passenger sustained gunshot injuries during the attack.

Ikoedem explained that the command immediately launched rescue and bush-combing operations after the incident, initially rescuing five passengers – two adults and three children. She added that operatives, through intelligence-driven policing and technological support, engaged the kidnappers in a gun duel on May 10 and rescued two additional victims.

The spokesperson confirmed that the remaining six abducted passengers have now been rescued unhurt. She quoted the state Commissioner of Police, Monday Agbonika, as commending the courage and resilience of the operatives involved.

According to Ikoedem, the commissioner assured residents that the command remains committed to apprehending the perpetrators, with intensive bush-combing operations ongoing.