A joint security team has rescued a kidnap victim and neutralised three suspected kidnappers during an operation in Igarra, Akoko-Edo Local Government Area of Edo State.
The Edo State Police Command disclosed this in a statement issued on Sunday by its Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Eno Ikoedem.
According to the statement, the operation took place at about 2:00 a.m. on October 11, 2026, following credible intelligence and technical support.
The joint team comprised police operatives from Igarra Division, personnel of the Nigerian Army’s 195 Battalion, Department of State Services (DSS) operatives, local hunters and members of the Edo State Security Corps (ESSC).
The security operatives reportedly stormed the Geo Works bushes and forest bordering Otuo, where the victim, identified as Michael Akano, was being held. Police said Akano was abducted on October 9, 2026.
Ikoedem stated that three suspected members of the kidnapping gang were neutralised during a gun battle, while other members of the group escaped with gunshot injuries.
The rescued victim was reportedly found unharmed and taken to a hospital for medical attention.
Items recovered during the operation included three locally fabricated single-barrel shotguns, eight live cartridges, five expended cartridges, two cutlasses and five mobile phones of different brands.
The bodies of the three suspected kidnappers were deposited at the General Hospital mortuary in Igarra for autopsy.
The police added that security operatives were continuing combing operations in the surrounding bushes to locate and arrest the fleeing suspects.
The Commissioner of Police in Edo State, CP Patrick Daaor, commended the joint security team for its prompt response and cooperation during the operation.
He reaffirmed the command’s commitment to intelligence-led operations aimed at preventing criminal activities and denying criminals safe havens across the state.
The police commissioner also urged residents to continue providing security agencies with timely and credible information to support efforts to tackle kidnapping and other crimes.
