The Edo State Police Command has arrested 113 suspected kidnappers during a coordinated security sweep across strategic locations in the state.
Gatekeepers News reports that police spokesperson Eno Ikoedem said in a statement on Thursday that the arrests followed “credible intelligence that ransom proceeds from kidnapping activities were being discreetly received and coordinated” in the Zangos areas of Agbede and Iruekpen.
The early-morning operation was led by Commissioner of Police Monday Agbonika, who coordinated a joint task force comprising operatives of the Nigeria Police Force, Nigerian Army, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), vigilantes, and local hunters.
“The precision raids yielded the arrest of a total of one hundred and thirteen (113) suspects. All suspects are currently undergoing thorough profiling to ascertain their level of involvement,” the statement read. “Those found culpable will be made to face the full weight of the law.”
Agbonika emphasised that the command’s campaign against kidnapping networks would remain “relentless and uncompromising,” targeting not only armed elements in forests but also the financial and human support systems sustaining these criminal activities.
He urged residents to remain vigilant and provide timely intelligence to security agencies, assuring that all information would be treated with strict confidentiality. “The command remains proactive and battle-ready to safeguard lives and property. There will be no hiding place for kidnappers or their collaborators in the state,” he added.
The arrests are part of ongoing efforts by Nigerian security agencies to curb kidnapping in Edo State. Earlier, on February 4, the army reported arresting 13 suspected kidnappers and drug peddlers in the Osara community, Etsako West LGA, Auchi, and Okpella communities in Edo North Senatorial District.
