The Nigeria Police Force in Edo State has successfully rescued nine persons who were abducted along the busy Benin–Lagos expressway.
Gatekeepers News reports that the victims were freed during coordinated operations carried out by the Edo State Police Command following two separate kidnapping incidents along the highway.
Police authorities said the rescue followed an intensive security response that involved the deployment of tactical teams, intelligence gathering, aerial surveillance, and sustained bush-combing operations across affected areas.
The command noted that the pressure mounted on the kidnappers forced them to abandon the victims, all of whom were recovered alive. The rescued individuals have since received medical attention and have been reunited with their families.
In a related development, officers also secured the release of additional victims who had been held in captivity in a forest area within the state, bringing the total number of rescued persons to nine.
The incident is linked to an earlier attack along the highway, where gunmen ambushed a commercial bus, killed the driver, and abducted passengers—raising fresh concerns about safety on the route.
Authorities have assured the public that security presence along the Benin–Lagos corridor has been strengthened, with ongoing operations aimed at tracking down the perpetrators and preventing further attacks.
