The Edo State Police Command has uncovered a case of self-kidnapping and recorded a major operational breakthrough with the arrest of 11 suspected kidnappers during coordinated security operations in Ekpoma and Ubiaja.
In a statement on Monday, the Command said the successes followed an ongoing security assessment and strategic repositioning in Ekpoma ordered by the Commissioner of Police, CP Monday Agbonika, fdc. As part of the measures, the Ekpoma Division was reorganised and CSP Tomofe Nwabueze was posted as the new Divisional Police Officer (DPO) with immediate effect.
According to the Police, a report of a suspected kidnapping along Old INEC Road, Ekpoma, was received at about noon on 12 January 2026. Acting swiftly, the new DPO deployed operational and intelligence resources to track the distress call. Technical intelligence and field investigations led to the arrest of the caller, which revealed that the incident was a case of self-kidnapping.
The suspect, identified as 18-year-old Obehi Odine (female), was arrested for allegedly staging her own abduction and demanding a ransom of ₦10 million. She reportedly confessed to fabricating the incident in an attempt to extort money.
In a related operation in Ubiaja, the Command said a bush-combing strategy led to the dismantling of a suspected kidnapping enclave. The Divisional Police Officer, Ubiaja, personally led a joint operation around Akwocha Camp and adjoining forest corridors in collaboration with the Nigerian Military and the Edo State Security Corps (ESSC).
A concealed forest location identified through drone-assisted aerial surveillance as a suspected kidnapping and logistics base was raided, resulting in the arrest of 11 male suspects believed to be members of an organised kidnapping syndicate.
Items recovered from the suspects include 24 Dane guns, 17 cutlasses, three battle axes, gun powder, torchlights, mobile phones, solar panels, assorted charms, one Daylong motorcycle and ₦209,700 in cash, among other exhibits.
The Commissioner of Police warned members of the public against false kidnapping reports and other deceptive acts, noting that such actions waste critical security resources, divert attention from genuine emergencies, create unnecessary panic and undermine public confidence. He stressed that offenders would be prosecuted in accordance with the law.
CP Agbonika reaffirmed the Command’s commitment to technology-driven policing, aggressive forest domination and intelligence-led operations aimed at dismantling criminal networks across Edo State.
The public was urged to continue supporting the Police with timely and credible information through the Emergency Control Room lines: 08077773721 and 08037646272; Public Complaints Bureau (PCB): 08150999335; and Complaints Response Unit (CRU): 08100389992.
