The Edo State Police Command has arrested 113 suspected kidnappers during a massive intelligence driven operation across Edo North and Edo Central. The operation was disclosed in a statement issued on Thursday by the Police Public Relations Officer, Eno Ikoedem.
According to the statement, the operation was carried out in the early hours of Thursday at about 03:00hrs under the leadership of the Commissioner of Police, Monday Agbonika. Acting on credible intelligence, the police command launched a joint security sweep across strategic locations in Edo Central.
The coordinated enforcement action targeted identified zango settlements in Agbede and Iruekpen where ransom payments from kidnapping activities were allegedly being received and coordinated. The joint task force comprised operatives of the Nigeria Police Force, the Nigerian Army, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, vigilante groups, and local hunters.
Police authorities revealed that intelligence reports indicated that suspected kidnappers and their collaborators used the settlements as meeting points to receive ransom payments, regroup, and blend with unsuspecting members of the public. The raids led to the arrest of 113 suspects who are currently undergoing thorough profiling to determine their level of involvement in kidnapping activities.
The command assured residents that anyone found culpable would face the full weight of the law. Agbonika reiterated that the crackdown on organised kidnapping networks would remain relentless and uncompromising. He stressed that security forces would not only target armed elements operating in forests but also dismantle their financial and human support systems across the state.
Residents were urged to remain vigilant and provide timely and credible information to security agencies, with assurances of strict confidentiality.
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