The Edo State Police Command has arrested 113 kidnapping suspects during coordinated security operations in Edo North and Edo Central.
The development was disclosed in a statement on Thursday by the command’s spokesperson, Eno Ikoedem.
According to the statement, the operations were conducted in the early hours of Thursday at about 3:00 am, targeting strategic areas in Edo Central following intelligence reports.
The police said credible information indicated that ransom payments linked to kidnapping operations were being coordinated at certain “zango” settlements in Agbede and Iruekpen.
Acting on the intelligence, the police commissioner reportedly led a joint security team comprising personnel from the police, army, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), as well as local vigilantes and hunters.
Security operatives carried out simultaneous raids on the identified settlements, which were believed to serve as meeting points for suspected kidnappers and their accomplices to collect ransom payments and blend into surrounding communities.
The operation resulted in the arrest of 113 suspects, all of whom are currently undergoing profiling to determine their level of involvement in the alleged crimes.
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The command stated that anyone found culpable would be prosecuted in accordance with the law.
Agbonika reaffirmed the command’s commitment to dismantling kidnapping networks, stressing that efforts would not only focus on armed groups in forested areas but also on cutting off their financial and logistical support systems within communities.
He urged residents to remain alert and continue sharing credible information with security agencies, assuring the public that all intelligence provided would be handled confidentially.
The commissioner maintained that there would be no haven for kidnappers or their collaborators anywhere in the state.
