Edo Police Command Confirms Abduction Of Five Including Officer As Kidnappers Demand N100million

The Edo State Police Command has confirmed the abduction of five persons, including a police inspector, in two separate kidnapping operations in the Akoko Edo Local Government Area of Edo State.

This is coming as the abductors are already demanding a N100million in ransom for their release.

The Police Public Relations Officer, Eno Ikoedem, who confirmed the incident involving the abduction at Makeke Village in Edo North, on Wednesday, revealed that some suspects had already been arrested.

“I can confirm to you that a kidnapping case occurred at Makeke Village in Akoko Edo Local Government in Edo North. Some suspects are in police custody and efforts to rescue the victims are ongoing,” Ikoedem said.

The confirmation comes amid renewed fears over escalating insecurity in Akoko Edo, where residents say kidnappings have become frequent and increasingly brazen.

According to a statement by the National Coordinator of the Movement for the Advancement of Akoko Edo People, Bode Ekundayo, the first incident occurred on February 8 at the Makeke Community Health Centre.

Ekundayo said armed men stormed the facility and abducted a female secondary school student, Tope Oriloye, and Samuel Ilesanmi, who had reportedly taken his son to the health centre with his wife.

“Daring kidnappers struck again in Akoko Edo, this time at Makeke village, less than a kilometre away from Ososo in the eastern part of Akoko Edo, taking away a secondary school female student, Tope Oriloye and Samuel Ilesanmi on February 8 at the community health centre,” he said.

He added that local hunters and vigilantes mobilised immediately after the attack, combing nearby forests into the early hours of the following day, but were unable to rescue the victims.

Ekundayo disclosed that the kidnappers later contacted the families, demanding N100 million ransom for the release of the two victims.

“However, the kidnappers called in the evening on February 9 to ask for N100million for Tope Oriloye and Samuel Ilesanmi to be released.

“This trend of demanding N100 million to commence ransom negotiation is becoming a familiar thing, having manifested its irritating trend in previous kidnap ransom negotiations,” he said.

In a separate operation, kidnappers reportedly invaded the residence of Police Inspector Segun Obanowa, said to be from Uma/Imoga in Akoko Edo, and abducted him, his wife and daughter.

Ekundayo said the gunmen later released the officer’s wife and instructed her to raise ransom for the release of her husband and daughter.

“In a similar operation in Auchi, kidnappers invaded the residence of Police Inspector Segun Obanowa from Uma/Imoga in Akoko Edo and kidnapped him, his wife and daughter, later releasing his wife to go look for ransom to free her husband and daughter,” he stated.

The latest incidents come weeks after seven indigenes of Imoga were abducted on January 9 while lodging at Stay Boy Hotel on the Imoga-Ibillo axis.

The hotel owner was also kidnapped during the attack.

On January 11, the gunmen reportedly demanded N100million ransom.

The amount was later reduced to N70million and subsequently to N40million after negotiations.

By January 16, the kidnappers allegedly threatened to begin killing the victims if ransom was not paid. The abductees were eventually released after an undisclosed sum was reportedly paid.

Ekundayo accused authorities of failing to act decisively despite repeated warnings.

“We have written, warned, and passed timely information to all security agencies and the tiers of government in Edo State earlier. Or is it not yet obvious that the worsening scourge will snowball into intractable catastrophes in future? Akoko Edo is surrounded.

“Is it not clear that gunmen from Benue and Kwara States are fast descending on Edo State, their open gateway being the vast wilderness of Akoko Edo?” he said.

Residents have continued to express fears that the vast forests around Akoko Edo have become safe havens for armed gangs operating across state boundaries.

Meanwhile, the police say investigations are ongoing and efforts are being intensified to rescue the victims and apprehend other suspects linked to the attacks.