Unuevbo TV
Troops and Police Arrest 17 Suspected Kidnappers, Rescue Two Victims in Coordinated Clearance Operations Across Edo North and Edo Central
Combined security forces during clearance operations in Edo North and Edo Central that led to the arrest of 17 suspected kidnappers.
A coordinated wave of security operations across Edo State has delivered one of the most significant single‑week hauls against kidnapping gangs in recent memory. Between May 12 and May 17, troops of the Nigerian Army's 4 Brigade, working alongside police operatives and the Edo State Security Corps, arrested 17 suspected kidnappers and rescued two victims in separate but simultaneous actions that stretched from Owan East to Igueben.
The first breakthrough came during clearance operations that began on May 12 in the forests of Owan East and Esan South‑East local government areas. Acting on intelligence, soldiers and police moved into known kidnapper camps, arresting 12 suspects and dismantling hideouts that had served as staging grounds for attacks along the state's troubled northern corridors. Weapons and communications equipment were recovered, though authorities have not yet released a full inventory.
As those operations were underway, a separate police team achieved a quieter but equally crucial victory. On May 13, Jemila Ibrahim, who had been abducted days earlier, was rescued unhurt after sustained bush combing around the Iyuku Community in Jattu. Five suspects were arrested in connection with her abduction. Then, on May 17, the Edo State Security Corps engaged kidnappers in a gun battle in Igueben, freeing a health worker who had been taken hostage. The abductors had demanded a ₦50 million ransom; they got neither the money nor their captive. Three suspects were arrested.
Security agencies have vowed that the operations are not a one‑off. "We will sustain this tempo until every kidnapper hideout in Edo State is dismantled," a military source told Unuevbo TV. For communities along the state's northern and central corridors — where the fear of abduction has reshaped daily life — the arrests and rescues are a rare and welcome sign that the hunters are finally catching up with the hunted.
Stay tuned to Unuevbo TV for more on security operations, community safety, and the fight against crime across Edo State.
📺 Watch Nigerian politics 24/7 on our Politics Channel.
© 2026 Unuevbo TV – All rights reserved. Republication only with permission.