Reported by: Oahimire Omone Precious | Edited by: Gabriel Osa
Benin City, Nigeria — In a decisive security operation aimed at curbing rising kidnappings and criminal activity along a notoriously dangerous stretch of highway, the Edo State Government has demolished a series of illegal structures believed to be hideouts used by suspected kidnappers along the Okpella–Okene Expressway, officials confirmed on Sunday. The action underscores a broader strategy by state authorities to dismantle physical safe havens for armed criminal networks that have plagued communities and motorists in the region.
The demolition occurred on Saturday morning at the Obu/Oguda/Bua Cement axis of the expressway, a corridor that has long been associated with violent abductions, ransom demands, and attacks on travellers. According to the Chief Press Secretary to Governor Monday Okpebholo, intelligence and investigations indicated that the structures were being used as operational bases where kidnappers allegedly held abducted victims and coordinated their activities.
Governor Okpebholo’s administration said the hideouts had earned notoriety among residents and road users, contributing to a climate of fear in the once-bustling Estako East communities that straddle Edo and neighboring states. “This expressway had become a haven for hardened criminals who instilled terror on commuters and local populations,” the statement noted, describing the demolition as part of an intensified campaign to restore security and protect lives and property.
The removal of the suspect structures was executed by the Edo State Development and Building Control Agency, under the supervision of officers led by a senior town planning official. The demolition began around 9:30 a.m. on December 20, 2025, and involved the flattening of makeshift shanties, abandoned huts, and other improvised edifices identified through combined intelligence efforts as shelters used by criminal elements.
Officials reported that during the operation, some suspected criminals attempted to block the expressway and resist the action by using human shields, creating tense moments that tested the resolve of security personnel. Despite the resistance, law enforcement maintained control of the situation, cleared the road, and ensured the successful completion of the demolition with minimal reported injury to bystanders.
Local residents and motorists welcomed the demolition, saying it represented a long-awaited effort to reclaim the highway from criminal gangs that had for years turned the wooded stretches and roadside settlements into ambush points for kidnapping and extortion. “We can now drive through this road with more confidence,” one commuter remarked, expressing cautious optimism about improved safety.
The demolitions are part of a wider security push by the Edo State Government, which has over the past year enacted and implemented measures to dismantle criminal hideouts and disrupt networks involved in kidnapping, cultism, and other forms of violent crime. Officials say the government has relied on intelligence-led operations, community partnerships, and sustained pressure on known criminal enclaves to make tangible inroads against entrenched illicit activities.
Security agencies in the state have also conducted numerous bush combing exercises and raids in forested areas long suspected as den sites for kidnappers. During such operations, authorities uncovered armouries and abandoned camps thought to have been used by abductors, further elevating concerns over the scale of criminal operations in Edo’s rural hinterlands.
The state’s aggressive stance on criminal hideouts aligns with earlier government directives empowering authorities to demolish buildings and properties used for kidnapping, cult meetings, or other criminal activities. Even private residences and vacant properties have been pulled down in several communities following verified information that they served as logistical hubs for kidnappers.
Edo’s Okpella–Okene Expressway is a key link connecting central and northern parts of the country, frequently traversed by long-distance travellers, traders, and commercial drivers. Over recent years, sections of this route have been associated with repeated abductions, ransom demands, and ambushes, prompting outcry from citizen groups and transport unions for stronger security interventions.
The demolition has been lauded as a crucial first step in pushing back against armed criminal networks, with authorities pledging to maintain heightened surveillance and patrols along the corridor. Security operatives, including state police and allied tactical units, have been mobilised to monitor the area and intercept any attempts by criminals to re-establish camps or hideouts.
Analysts argue that while destroying physical hideouts can disrupt the operational capabilities of kidnappers, sustainable security will also depend on sustained community cooperation, expanded intelligence gathering, and improvements in regional policing capabilities. They emphasise the need for complementary measures such as improved road lighting, rapid response units, and rehabilitation programmes for areas once deemed no-go zones.
For residents of Estako East and surrounding communities, the demolition operation represents both relief and a test of enduring peace. “We pray that this leads to lasting calm and that our people can resume farming, trade, and daily life without fear,” said a local traditional leader, echoing widespread hope that the government’s firm approach will yield long-term security dividends.
The Edo State Government has urged citizens to continue reporting suspicious activities and to remain vigilant, reaffirming that the fight against kidnapping and criminal terror remains a collective responsibility requiring ongoing collaboration between authorities and the public.
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