The Edo State Police Command has rescued nine victims from kidnappers in what it described as a landmark drone-led operation, even as the wife of another kidnap victim has appealed on social media for public support to raise a ₦100 million ransom.
The command’s spokesperson, ASP Eno Ikoedem, said in a statement issued in Benin on Saturday that the rescue followed a report of a kidnapping at Egbojo Ikabigbo community in Jattu, Etsako West Local Government Area.
She said the Divisional Police Officer and his team were immediately deployed, working alongside vigilantes and local hunters.
The Commissioner of Police, Monday Agbonika, subsequently activated the command’s Eagle Combat Drone Unit for its first-ever rescue mission.
According to Ikoedem, real-time aerial intelligence from the drone located the kidnappers’ camp in the early hours of 9 January 2026.
“Ground troops stormed the camp, forcing the kidnappers to flee and abandon two locally fabricated AK-49 rifles.
The victims — one adult male, three adult females and five children — were rescued unhurt,” she said.
She described the operation as a milestone highlighting the growing role of technology in modern policing.
The police also recorded multiple arrests and recoveries in separate security operations across the state.
A Toyota Yaris allegedly snatched at gunpoint in Benin City was recovered, while a suspected robbery syndicate member, Oluwashegun Ajayi, was arrested.
Seven other suspects linked to an armed robbery gang were also apprehended, with weapons and a vehicle recovered.
In another operation, a stolen Lexus SUV taken during a home invasion on Christmas Day 2025 was retrieved, leading to the arrest of a suspect who reportedly confessed to the crime.
A separate child-trafficking syndicate was dismantled in Uromi, where a newborn baby was rescued and ₦1.4 million recovered as proceeds of the illegal transaction.
Ikoedem said all suspects would be charged to court, adding that the command remained committed to protecting lives and property across Edo State.
