A wave of terror struck Ivbiaro community in Owan East Local Government Area of Edo State on Thursday, May 1, 2025, as gunmen suspected to be kidnappers abducted a family of three and four others along the Auchi-Warrake road. The victims, traveling from Kaduna State to attend a 40-day fidau prayer for a late mother-in-law, were ambushed just meters from the community at a notorious bad spot near a security checkpoint. The incident has plunged the community into chaos, disrupting the planned memorial and leaving families in anguish as the kidnappers demand a N10 million ransom for the remaining hostages.
The abducted group included a father, mother, and their son, along with four family friends. According to a source close to the victims, the family had chartered a vehicle from Kaduna for the Saturday, May 3, event. During the attack, the driver escaped into the bush, while the kidnappers initially took all seven captives. However, a mother and her two children were abandoned, reportedly due to the children’s cries, which may have deterred the assailants. The kidnappers later released the father, identified as Mallam Nezifi, and his wife, but retained their son and a female family friend, who remain in captivity.
The source, speaking anonymously, revealed that the kidnappers are holding the two hostages and demanding N10 million for their release. The abduction has not only halted the fidau prayer but also heightened fears in Ivbiaro, where residents have long complained of insecurity along the Auchi-Warrake road. Posts on X echoed this sentiment, with users like @rahim_hud urging authorities to address the rampant kidnappings in the area, noting a family member’s abduction on the same road days earlier. The proximity of the attack to a security checkpoint has raised questions about the effectiveness of local patrols, especially given the road’s history of similar incidents.
This kidnapping follows a pattern of escalating violence in Edo State, with previous abductions reported in Owan West and along the Afuze-Ihievbe-Auchi road. The family is reportedly scrambling to raise the ransom, a common outcome in Nigeria’s kidnapping crisis, where armed groups exploit ungoverned spaces. The Edo State Police Command has not publicly commented, but past operations, like the 2023 rescue of two victims in a similar incident, suggest ongoing efforts to combat such crimes. As Ivbiaro mourns the disruption of a sacred rite, the incident underscores the urgent need for enhanced security measures to protect vulnerable communities and restore peace to Nigeria’s highways.
Leave a comment