Troops Kill Three Suspected Kidnappers, Rescue Abducted Man in Edo

The operation, conducted at about 2 a.m. on Sunday, October 11, followed the abduction of the victim, identified as Michael Akano, on October 9.

The Edo State Police Command said the joint team acted on credible intelligence and technical support to locate the suspected kidnappers in the Geo Works bushes and forest bordering Otuo, where the victim was being held.

The operation involved police personnel from Igarra Division, troops of the Nigerian Army’s 195 Battalion, operatives of the Department of State Services, local hunters and members of the Edo State Security Corps.

According to the police, three suspected members of the kidnapping gang were killed during a gun battle, while other members escaped with gunshot wounds.

Akano was rescued unhurt and taken to a hospital for medical attention.

Security operatives recovered three locally fabricated single-barrel shotguns, eight live cartridges, five expended cartridges, two cutlasses and five mobile phones of different brands from the scene.

The bodies of the three suspects were deposited at the General Hospital mortuary in Igarra for autopsy, while security personnel continued combing the surrounding bushes to track down the fleeing members of the gang.

The Commissioner of Police in Edo State, Mr Patrick Daaor, commended the joint security team for its response and collaboration, reaffirming the command’s commitment to intelligence-led operations against kidnapping and other violent crimes.

He urged residents to provide timely and credible information to security agencies to support efforts to apprehend fleeing suspects and prevent further criminal activities.