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Nab Teenager for Staging Own Abduction
- Safiu Kehinde
No fewer than 11 suspected kidnappers have been arrested alongside an 18-year-old girl who was nabbed for staging own abduction.
This was disclosed in a statement issued on Tuesday by the Edo State Police Command’s spokesperson, Eno Ikoedem.
According to the statement, the suspects were arrested during an operation in Ubiaja amid the civil unrest which occurred at the weekend when protesters took to the streets in demand for an end to the incessant kidnapping across the state.
While the Police had yesterday embarked on a raid on the protesters who are largely students of the Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma.
The Police would also embark on a bush-combing operation led by the Ubiaja District Police Officer.
The coordinated bush-combing operation around Akwocha Camp and adjoining forest corridors, in collaboration with the Nigerian Military and the Edo State Security Corps (ESSC) reportedly led to the discovery of a concealed forest enclave.
According to the statement, the enclave which turned out to be the kidnapping and logistic base of the kidnappers was detected by the drone squadron through intelligence generated from air surveillance.
In the course of the invasion of the conclave, eleven male suspects believed to be members of an organized kidnapping syndicate were arrested.
Exhibits recovered include 24 Dane guns, 17 cutlasses, three battle axes, gun powder, torchlights, mobile phones, solar panels, assorted charms, one Daylong motorcycle, and the sum of N209,700.00 cash, among other exhibits.
In another operation in Ekpoma, an 18-year-old girl, Obehi Odine, was arrested by the Ekpoma Police Division following a report of a suspected kidnapping along Old INEC Road.
The division reportedly received a distress call about noon on Monday with the newly deployed DPO of the division, Tomofe Nwabueze, immediately swung into action and deployed operational resources to track the caller.
Technical intelligence and field investigations led to the arrest of the suspect, which later revealed a case of self-kidnapping.
Obehi was arrested for staging her own kidnapping and demanding a ransom of N10 million.
She has reportedly confessed to the crime, admitting that the incident was deliberately fabricated to extort money.
Reacting to the development the Edo Commissioner of Police, Monday Agbonika, strongly warned members of the public against engaging in false kidnapping reports and other deceptive acts.
He noted that such actions waste critical security resources, divert attention from genuine emergencies, create unnecessary panic, and undermine public confidence, hence anyone caught will be prosecuted accordingly.
Agbonika further reiterated the Command’s resolve to sustain technology-driven policing, aggressive forest domination, and intelligence-led operations to dismantle criminal networks across the state.
Members of the public are encouraged to continue supporting the Police with timely and credible information through the following lines: Emergency Control Room: 08077773721, 08037646272 Public Complaints Bureau (PCB): 08150999335 Complaints Response Unit (CRU): 08100389992