Six suspected kidnappers have been apprehended in Agbede Forest, Estako West Local Government Area, as part of a forest clearance operation aimed at taking the fight to kidnappers’ strongholds.
The suspects were arrested following a two-hour trek into the dense forest, according to Eno Ikoedem, spokesman for the Edo Police Command.
Ikoedem said the operation was initiated based on intelligence provided by a kidnapped victim, who was able to identify the forest camp where he had been held.
He explained that Commissioner of Police, Monday Agbonika, acted on the tip-off and assembled a joint task force comprising the Nigeria Police Force, Nigerian Army, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Edo State Security Corps (ESSC), and local hunters to move into the heart of the forest under cover of darkness.
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“The joint team drove for three hours until the last accessible motorable road and then advanced on foot, navigating dense forest paths for another two hours,” Ikoedem said.
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The arrests mark a significant step in Edo State’s ongoing efforts to tackle kidnapping and criminal activities operating from remote forest enclaves.
“Upon arrival at the location at about 3:45 a.m., the area was swiftly cordoned off in a well-coordinated encirclement, effectively cutting off all escape routes.
“A thorough sweep of the camp resulted in the arrest of six suspects identified as Mikel Gendaga, aged 41, Yusuf Abubakar, aged 34, Isyaka Abraham, aged 30, Isyaka Abubakar, aged 37, Mohammed Sumo, aged 20, and Mohammed Abubakar, aged 25.
“The suspects are currently being profiled and subjected to intensive investigation by officers of the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), Benin City, for diligent prosecution.”
