The Edo State Police Command has arrested 113 suspected kidnappers during a coordinated security operation carried out in the early hours of Wednesday across parts of Edo Central.
The operation, which began at about 3:00 a.m. on February 26, 2026, targeted identified “zango” settlements in Agbede and Iruekpen, where intelligence reports indicated ransom proceeds from kidnapping activities were allegedly being received and coordinated.
The Commissioner of Police, Monday Agbonika, personally led the joint security task force comprising operatives of the Nigeria Police Force, the Nigerian Army, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), as well as vigilante groups and local hunters.
Security sources said the coordinated raids were based on actionable intelligence suggesting that suspected kidnappers and their collaborators used the settlements as convergence points to receive ransom payments, regroup, and blend with unsuspecting residents.
A total of 113 suspects were arrested during the sweep. Police authorities confirmed that all those apprehended are currently undergoing profiling and investigation to determine their level of involvement. Those found culpable will be prosecuted in accordance with the law.
The Commissioner of Police reiterated the Command’s commitment to dismantling kidnapping networks across the state, stressing that the crackdown would not be limited to armed groups operating in forests but would also target their financial and logistical support structures.
He urged residents to remain vigilant and to provide timely, credible information to security agencies, assuring that all intelligence shared would be handled with strict confidentiality.
Police spokesperson, Eno Ikoedem, stated that the Command remains proactive and prepared to safeguard lives and property, warning that no part of the state would serve as a safe haven for kidnappers or their collaborators.
