The Edo State Police Command has rescued four kidnapped victims following a coordinated operation involving police operatives and other security agencies after suspected kidnappers ambushed motorists along the Lagos/Benin Expressway.
The command’s Public Relations Officer, CSP Moses Yamu? Wait no—according to the statement, Police Public Relations Officer, Eno Ikoedem, disclosed this in a statement issued on Friday.
According to the police, the victims were abducted on July 30, 2026, at about 10:40 p.m. when three armed men disguised in vigilante uniforms barricaded the Ugbokun axis, before the military checkpoint along the Lagos/Benin Expressway, using logs of wood and leaves.
“The armed men, numbering about three and dressed in vigilante uniforms, had blocked the Ugbokun axis before the military checkpoint along the Lagos/Benin Expressway with logs of wood and leaves. The hoodlums attacked motorists and abducted some occupants into the forest,” the statement said.
The command said the Divisional Police Officer of Okada Division immediately mobilised a joint team comprising police operatives, members of the Vigilante Group of Nigeria, local hunters and other security stakeholders to rescue the victims.
“The operatives immediately embarked on an aggressive bush-combing operation, enhanced by drone technology to search and aid the rescue mission,” Ikoedem stated.
The police said sustained pressure mounted on the kidnappers forced them to abandon their captives and flee into the forest.
“The sustained pressure mounted on the criminals forced them to flee leaving behind their victims Muritala Babatunde, Bello Aminat, Otor Prince and Yeiyah Gift. The hostages were rescued unhurt and have since been reunited with their families,” the statement added.
The command commended the bravery, professionalism and collaboration displayed by all security personnel involved in the rescue operation, describing it as a testament to effective inter-agency cooperation.
It also reassured residents of its commitment to sustaining the offensive against kidnapping and other violent crimes across the state.
The police said efforts were ongoing to track down and arrest the fleeing suspects, urging residents to continue providing timely and credible information that could aid security operations.
