Kidnappers Abduct Police Officer, 4 Others in Edo

Residents of Akoko-Edo Local Government Area in Edo State are living in fear as suspected kidnappers have laid siege to the community, abducting five persons in separate operations. Among the victims are a Police Inspector, Segun Obanowa, his daughter, a secondary school student named Tope Oriloye, and a man identified as Samuel Ilesanmi. The spate of kidnappings has forced local authorities and traditional rulers to impose a daily curfew from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. in a bid to curb the menace.

According to reports, the first incident occurred on February 8 at the Makeke Primary Health Centre. Gunmen stormed the facility and abducted Tope Oriloye and Samuel Ilesanmi, who had rushed his son to the center for medical attention. In a separate operation in Auchi, kidnappers invaded the residence of Police Inspector Segun Obanowa. They abducted him along with his wife and daughter but later released the wife to source for ransom to secure the release of her husband and child.

Confirming the incidents in a statement issued in Benin City, the National Coordinator of the Movement for the Advancement of Akoko Edo People, Bode Ekundayo, revealed that the abductors of Oriloye and Ilesanmi have contacted their families, demanding a staggering N100 million ransom. "This trend of demanding N100 million to commence ransom negotiation is becoming a familiar thing, having manifested its irritating trend in previous kidnap ransom negotiations," Ekundayo lamented.

Despite efforts by local hunters and vigilantes who combed the bushes around Makeke village till the early hours of the following day, no rescue has been made. The group has called on the Edo State Government and the Akoko-Edo council authority to take urgent action to save the area from the grip of kidnappers. The Edo State Police Command has confirmed the incidents, stating that investigations are ongoing to rescue the victims and apprehend the perpetrators.