Sunday, September 14, 2025 - The Edo
State Police Command on Sunday said a kidnap victim, Elohor Osifoh, who was
abducted on September 10, has been rescued and reunited with her family.
The latest rescue comes against the backdrop of recurring
security challenges along major highways in Edo State, particularly the
Benin–Lagos and Benin–Auchi expressways, where armed groups often target
travellers for abduction.
The spokesperson for the command, SP Moses Yamu, who stated
this in a statement released on Sunday, also said that the police foiled the
attempted abduction of three others who were travelling to Akwa Ibom through
the state.
The statement read, “In the early hours of 13th September
2025, at about 02:30hrs, operatives of the Okada Division led by CSP Opatoyinbo
John, while on a routine patrol at Morgan and Isiuwa slope along the
Benin–Lagos expressway, responded swiftly to a distress call regarding a
kidnapping attempt.
“Armed hoodlums had barricaded the highway with woods and
opened sporadic gunfire in an attempt to intercept and abduct the occupants of
a Toyota Sienna vehicle with registration number KUJ 342 CU (Abuja). The
vehicle, driven by one Nana Aghogho ‘M’, aged 51 years, was conveying
fingerling fish from Lagos State to Akwa Ibom State with two passengers on
board.
“On sighting the gunmen, the operatives engaged them in a
fierce exchange of fire, forcing the hoodlums to abandon their criminal mission
and flee into the nearby bush. The driver and his two passengers, Oseghale
Mathias ‘M’ (40yrs) and John Edobor ‘M’ (24yrs), were rescued unhurt.
“The barricades placed by the hoodlums were immediately
cleared, thereby restoring free flow of traffic and ensuring the safety of
other road users.
“In a related development, operatives of the Ekpoma
Divisional Headquarters, led by SP Nelson Igbinoba, today rescued and reunited
with the family, a female victim, Elohor Osifoh, earlier kidnapped on 10th
September, 2025, after days of relentless bush combing rescue operation.”
Yamu stated that the Commissioner of Police, Monday
Agbonika, commended the gallantry and prompt response of the operatives, while
assuring members of the public of the Command’s resilience and commitment to
rid the state of criminal elements.
He said the CP further urged road users to remain vigilant
and report suspicious movements to the nearest police formation for swift
action.
The Edo State Police Command has, in recent months,
intensified patrols, stop-and-search operations, and bush combing exercises in
identified black spots to curb such attacks.
Earlier in August, operatives of the command successfully
rescued several passengers abducted along the Benin–Ekpoma road, while also
arresting suspects linked to kidnapping syndicates operating in the state.
These efforts align with broader directives from the
Inspector-General of Police for state commands to step up highway security, to
safeguard travellers, restore public confidence, and support economic
activities that rely heavily on road transportation.
The rescue of Elohor Osifoh and the foiling of the attempted abduction of three travellers highlight what the command describes as its “renewed strategy of rapid response and proactive engagement” against criminal elements across Edo.
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