Connect with us

Metro

Special Squad Uncovers Kidnappers’ Armoury, Camps In Edo Forest

Published

on

The Edo State Special Security Squad said it uncovered an armoury and camps in the forest used by kidnappers to carry out their devilish activities.

The squad made this known in a statement issued by the Chief Press Secretary to Governor Monday Okpebholo, Fred Itua, and made available to newsmen on Thursday in Benin.

Itua in the statement said the discovery was made during the bush combing exercise carried out by the outfit from Tuesday to Thursday.

Advertisement

According to Itua, the coordinated exercise was carried out under the direct supervision of the governor’s Chief Security Officer and Principal Security Officer.

He noted that the operation covered Ovia North-East, Esan North-East, Esan West, and Esan South-East Local Government Areas of the state.

READ ALSO:Edo Agency Intercepts 14-yr-old Sickle Cell Sufferer, Others, Trafficked To Libya, Mali

Advertisement

Itua noted that particular attention was paid to the Benin–Akure Road corridor, where passengers of the New Edo Line were recently kidnapped.

He added, “During the bush combing, operatives recovered two locally made double-barrel guns and one live cartridge in adjoining communities, including Osa-Somba and Idunwingie in Ovia North-East. Officials noted that the discoveries point to the entrenched use of local armoury by kidnappers operating in the region.”

Head of the ESSC, Idemudia Noah, in the statement said the team was deploying drones, military personnel, and advanced surveillance in its relentless pursuit of kidnappers.

Advertisement

“We received distress calls from Ugboha people reporting kidnapping incidents, and we responded with massive combing of the forests. This administration is determined to ensure Edo is too unsafe for criminals. The message is clear: criminals must leave the state or face decisive action,” Noah declared.

READ ALSO:Edo Deputy Gov Orders Restoration Of Water Supply To Health Facility

A member of the squad, Eribo Emwanta, disclosed that in Ugboha forest, operatives discovered abandoned camps suspected to have been used as kidnapping hideouts.

Advertisement

He said that the exercise would remain continuous, with Governor Okpebholo personally monitoring the team’s activities.

Recall that Last Friday, gunmen suspected to be kidnappers killed eight personnel of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps attached to the BUA Cement Factory located in Okpella, Etsako East Local Government Area of the state.

An expatriate, a Chinese national, was also kidnapped while four others were rescued from their abductors. Four people were also injured and are currently receiving treatment at an undisclosed hospital.

Advertisement

Also, passengers in an Edo Line bus and a Toyota Corolla car were abducted along Benin-Auchi Road on the same day, but 16 of them were later rescued by the police.

 

Advertisement

Metro

JUST IN: One Dead As Ngige Escapes Assassination

Published

on

By

Gunmen who dressed in police and army camouflage on Thursday attacked the convoy of the former governor of Anambra State, Dr. Chris Ngige, leaving one dead.

A lady who was caught videoing the gunmen reportedly came out of her hairdressing salon.

She was shot and died on the spot after she was spotted capturing the incident with her phone yesterday.

Advertisement

Ngige, who last served as the Labour Minister, reportedly escaped death following an attack on his convoy as he was not in the vehicle at the time of the incident.

READ ALSO:Anambra: Police Recover Three-year-old Girl Sold In Calabar

It was learnt that the gunmen ran into the former governor’s convoy along Nkpor–Nnobi Road in Idemili North Local Government Area of the State and opened fire, prompting return fire from security operatives in the convoy.

Advertisement

According to a source, a police officer and a civilian who owned a shop were also injured during the gunmen’s attack.

A statement issued by Ngige’s media aide, Fred Chukwuelobe, confirmed that the former governor was not in the convoy when the assailants struck.

The statement noted that the attackers, reportedly dressed in police and army uniforms, opened fire on the pilot vehicle, injuring the lead escort.

Advertisement

READ ALSO:Police Rescue Stolen Boy, Arrest Six Over Child Trafficking In Anambra

The statement stressed that the policeman in the pilot car sustained gunshot wounds, while the attackers made away with his gun and uniform.

The pilot vehicle, it was gathered, was riddled with bullets during the assault.

Advertisement

Ngige, who spoke by phone through Chukwuelobe, said: “I just got off the phone with His Excellency, and he confirmed the development, promising to do all he can to ensure that those injured receive adequate treatment.”

READ ALSO:Police Rescue Stolen Boy, Arrest Six Over Child Trafficking In Anambra

He also commiserated with the family of the unfortunate lady who was killed while videoing the scene,” Chukwuelobe said.

Advertisement

“A shop owner who ran out to see what was happening was also shot. He reportedly lost a significant amount of blood and is scheduled for surgery to remove bullets, but doctors expect him to make a full recovery.

The injured escort leader has also undergone surgery and is responding well,” he added.

Ngige’s side dismissed insinuations that a police officer was killed in the attack.

Advertisement

Contacted, the State Command confirmed the attack on the former governor Ngige’s convoy, clarifying that the police had recovered the vehicle, which was riddled with bullets by the gunmen.

 

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Metro

Man Flees After Lady Dies In Ondo Hotel

Published

on

By

The Ondo Police Command has launched a manhunt for a man identified as Sodiq Ganiyu over the demise of a young lady in a hotel in Ore, Odigbo Local Council Area of the state.

Ganiyu had lodged at the popular hotel on the busy Ore–Okitipupa Road, along with the yet-to-be-identified lady, who was found dead after the suspect left the hotel room.

The lifeless body of the deceased was discovered after hotel staff entered the room with a spare key when repeated knocks went unanswered.

Advertisement

READ ALSO:Hoodlums Stab Police Officer To Death In Ondo

Following the incident, the hotel, a regular stop and social hub for travellers and residents of the area, was besieged by onlookers who trooped to witness it.

According to sources, the lady was lying motionless on the bed when the door was opened, with no visible signs of violence or marks on her body.

Advertisement

One of the sources stated that “The girl checked into the hotel with a man, Sodiq Ganiyu, to spend the night. The two were seen together earlier in the day, but when staff gained access to the room, the lady was found lifeless.”

READ ALSO:Amotekun Arrests 16 Illegal Immigrants, 22 Others In Ondo

Another source stressed that the suspect allegedly fled the scene, leaving his whereabouts unknown, a development that prompted hotel management to promptly report the incident to the police.

Advertisement

A security source, who confirmed the development, said the lady’s body has been deposited at a mortuary in Ore.

Preliminary examinations revealed no external injuries, but a full autopsy has been scheduled to determine the cause of death.

While confirming the incident, Police Public Relations Officer Olayinka Ayanlade stated that efforts were ongoing to apprehend the fleeing suspect.

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Metro

Police Crack Down On Criminal Network In Delta Community, Recover AK-47

Published

on

By

The Delta State Police Command has recorded another breakthrough in its ongoing offensive against armed criminal networks in Oghara, Ethiope West Local Government Area, raising further alarm over the deepening sophistication of local cult and robbery syndicates.

In a statement on Thursday, the Command’s spokesperson, Bright Edafe, said the latest operation was carried out by the CP–Special Assignment Team (CP-SAT) led by ASP Julius Robinson, whose sustained raids continue to expose the scale of organised criminal activity festering in and around the community.

Edafe recalled that the development follows the 24 November arrest of confessed cultists and the recovery of a pump-action gun and other incriminating exhibits.

Advertisement

Building on intelligence gathered from that initial bust, CP-SAT operatives intensified surveillance and launched coordinated follow-up raids across strategic hotspots in Oghara on November 25, 2025.

READ ALSO:Delta Police Arrest Suspected Serial Killer

The sweep led to the arrest of two additional suspects identified as Justice Ikutu, 38, and Peter Okomeje, 55 — both allegedly linked to a widening criminal syndicate believed to be responsible for recent spikes in cult violence and armed robbery in the area.

Advertisement

According to him, a search conducted at the residence of another suspected gang member, identified as Peter Kome, led to the recovery of a loaded AK-47 rifle fitted with a double magazine and other exhibits investigators say point to a more entrenched and organised network than previously assumed.

All suspects are currently in custody,” the Command said, adding that operatives are pursuing leads to identify and arrest other members of the syndicate.

Meanwhile, Commissioner of Police, CP Olufemi Abaniwonda, praised the rapid response and tactical precision of the CP-SAT team but stressed that policing alone cannot dismantle the criminal ecosystem thriving in the region. He appealed to residents to remain vigilant and cooperate with security agencies by providing actionable information.

Advertisement

READ ALSO:Why Niger Delta Suffers Most — Jonathan

He said the latest arrests come amid rising public anxiety over recurrent cult clashes, armed robbery, and gang-related killings across several Delta communities. Even as investigations deepen, the Command says it remains resolute in restoring order in Oghara and preventing the town from becoming a haven for weapon-bearing criminal networks.

In other news, the Owelle of Onicha-Olona, Chief Jerry Nkeweshe, has demanded the withdrawal of a police statement linking him to the killing of three youths in the Okwe community near Asaba, Delta State.

Advertisement

The Delta State Police Command had announced a manhunt for Nkeweshe and others alleged to have led an armed group that attacked the community on November 24, resulting in the deaths of the youths.

READ ALSO:Delta: Father In Police Net After Sleeping With Daughters For Seven Years

The command’s spokesperson, Bright Edafe, confirmed the killings and said the suspects were being sought in connection with the attack.

Advertisement

But reacting through his lawyer, Kelechi Nnadi, on Wednesday, Nkeweshe denied any involvement and described the police statement as false and damaging.

Nnadi said his client was not in Okwe or anywhere within Asaba on the day of the incident, explaining that Nkeweshe had left the city earlier that morning for medical attention in Umunede, where he stayed throughout the day.

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Trending

Exit mobile version