Edo Police Bust Fake Kidnap Plot, Arrest 11 Suspected Kidnappers In Forest Raid
THE Edo State Police Command has announced a major reorganisation of the Ekpoma Division as part of renewed efforts to strengthen security across the area.
The Commissioner of Police, CP Monday Agbonika, fdc, approved the immediate posting of CSP Tomofe Nwabueze as the new Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of Ekpoma following a security assessment and strategic review of the division’s operations.
Barely hours after assuming duty, the new DPO recorded his first breakthrough. On January 12, 2026, at about noon, the division received a distress call reporting a suspected kidnapping along Old INEC Road, Ekpoma.
Responding swiftly, operatives deployed both technical intelligence and field investigations to track the caller. Their findings later revealed that the incident was staged.
The suspect, identified as 18-year-old Obehi Odine, was arrested after confessing to faking her own abduction and attempting to extort ₦10 million as ransom.
In a separate development, the Command recorded another major breakthrough in Ubiaja through an intensified bush-combing operation. The DPO of Ubiaja led a joint team comprising the Nigerian Military and the Edo State Security Corps (ESSC) to Akwocha Camp and neighbouring forest areas.
Drone surveillance had earlier detected a concealed hideout believed to be used by kidnappers. The coordinated operation led to the arrest of eleven male suspects allegedly linked to a kidnapping syndicate.
Items recovered from the camp include 24 Dane guns, 17 cutlasses, three battle axes, torchlights, gun powder, solar panels, charms, mobile phones, one Daylong motorcycle and ₦209,700 cash.
CP Agbonika warned the public against raising false kidnapping alarms or engaging in deceptive acts, noting that such incidents drain security resources, create panic and weaken public trust. He reiterated the Command’s commitment to technology-driven policing, aggressive forest patrols and intelligence-led operations aimed at dismantling criminal networks across Edo State.
Residents were encouraged to continue providing timely and credible information through the Command’s emergency and complaint response lines.
