Families who deposited their deceased relations at the Aigbe Mortuary, Akugbe Street, off Upper Sakponba Road, Benin City, have since Monday been besieging the facility to ascertain the condition of their loved ones.

This followed the discovery of an alleged case of organ harvesting at the mortuary.

A mortuary attendant was arrested by operatives of the Edo State Police Command as a result of the incident.

A visit to the hospital, which operates the mortuary and serves the densely populated Upper Sakponba area, revealed that some family members were present to check the condition of the corpses they deposited, while others made frantic efforts to transfer their deceased relatives to other mortuaries.

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Osariemen Desmond who happens to be one of the persons who were at mortuary said his late mother’s corpse was deposited at the mortuary, adding that he was there to ensure nothing had happened to her remains, as the family plans to bury her next year.

“I am here because of the story we heard about organ harvesting last Friday. I just want to be sure that my mother’s corpse is safe. Many people have been coming since Monday to transfer the corpses of their deceased family members to other mortuaries, while others just came to be sure that nothing has happened to the corpses they deposited. But for me, I am here to be sure that my mum’s corpse is intact,” he said.

However, a member of staff of the hospital, who declined to have his name in print, said the mortuary had never been involved in organ harvesting.

He explained that the deceased whose corpse was allegedly tampered with had died as a result of poisoning, which may have affected his internal organs.

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“There is nothing like organ harvesting here. The man in question died from poisoning, and that may have affected his internal organs,” he said.

However, the Edo State Police Command, in a statement released by its Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Eno Ikoedem, said the Command had launched an investigation into the matter and would ensure that anyone found guilty faces the full weight of the law.

She said: “The Edo State Police Command has launched an intensive and far-reaching investigation into a disturbing allegation of unlawful tampering with a human corpse and theft of human parts at Akugbe Mortuary, located along Upper Sakponba Road, Benin City—an incident that sparked public outrage and nearly culminated in mob violence.

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“On December 12, 2025, the Command received an urgent distress call indicating that a mortuary attendant was on the verge of being lynched by an irate crowd over allegations of organ harvesting. Acting with swift precision, the Divisional Police Officer, Ugbekun Division, immediately mobilised operatives to the scene and successfully rescued the suspect, thereby averting a breakdown of law and order.

“Preliminary investigations revealed that one Marvelous Odeh and others had visited the mortuary to claim the corpse of the late Uyi Enogieru for burial. However, upon completion of the required formalities, it was discovered that the corpse had been unlawfully interfered with and that some body parts were missing, prompting a report to the Police.

“The suspect has since been taken into custody and, on the directive of the Commissioner of Police, Edo State Command, CP Monday Agbonika, fdc, the case has been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) for a thorough, professional, and discreet investigation to unravel the circumstances surrounding the incident.”

Kidnappers have abducted 18 passengers along the Benin-Akure highway, near Obarenren village, Ovia North East Local Government Area of Edo State.

The kidnappers were said to have fired sporadically before taking their victims into the bush.

Edo State Police Command’s Public Relations Officer, Eno Ikoedem, confirmed the incident in Benin on Monday.

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Ikoedem, while stating that a joint security operation had launched a manhunt for the abductors, added that a “massive bush combing led to the rescue of 11 victims.”

The PPRO, who said efforts were on to rescue other victims, noted: “The incident happened last Saturday. The passengers were in a 18-seater Big Joe bus. We have been combing the bush in collaboration with the Nigerian Army.

“No Arrest has been made yet.”

Operatives the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Edo State Command, have arrested a 44-year-old suspected drug trafficker, Ohiomah Igbafe, at Uroe community in Owan East Local Government Area of Edo State.

The command also seized 457 kilograms of skunk cannabis concealed at the suspect’s hideout
in the operation that took place on December 9, 2025,

The State Commander of the anti-narcotic agency, Mitchell Ofoyeju, who disclosed this in a press statement said: “The suspect was found in possession of 15 bags of cannabis sativa weighing a total of 457 kilograms, in addition to a separate sack containing four kilograms of cannabis seeds.”

He described the arrest as a significant milestone in the agency’s ongoing campaign against drug trafficking in the state.

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He said: “The operation reflects our undying commitment to the eradication of drug trafficking within Edo State. The quantity of illegal drugs seized in this raid represents a serious threat to public health and safety. This level of success encourages us to continue to confront drug cartels relentlessly.”

He added that the agency would not relent in its efforts to dismantle criminal drug networks, warning that offenders would be pursued without mercy.

“We want to send a clear message that drug traffickers and their collaborators have no safe harbour in Edo State.”