Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Gabriel Osa
BENIN CITY, Edo State — In a coordinated pre-dawn operation described as intelligence-driven and tactically precise, the Edo State Police Command has arrested six suspects during a joint clearance raid deep inside the Agbede Forest in Etsako East Local Government Area. The operation, carried out in the early hours of February 3, 2026, was led personally by the Commissioner of Police, CP Monday Agbonika, and involved a combined force of security agencies targeting what authorities identified as a suspected criminal hideout.
According to a statement issued on February 5 by the Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Eno Ikoedem, the raid followed a critical breakthrough provided by a recently rescued kidnapping victim. The victim was reportedly able to identify and describe the forest camp where he had been held captive, giving security forces actionable intelligence to plan and execute the operation.
Acting on the information, the Commissioner of Police mobilised a joint team comprising personnel from the Nigeria Police Force, the Nigerian Army, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, the Edo State Security Corps, and local hunters familiar with the terrain. The inter-agency composition of the team reflected what officials described as a strengthened strategy of synergy among security stakeholders in combating organised crime across the state.
The convoy reportedly travelled for approximately three hours to the last motorable point before continuing on foot into the dense forest. Security operatives advanced silently for nearly two additional hours, crossing three locally constructed wooden bridges and navigating thick vegetation under cover of darkness. Authorities said the prolonged foot movement was intended to maintain the element of surprise and prevent suspects from fleeing or receiving advance warning.
At about 3:45 a.m., the team reached the identified camp and executed a coordinated encirclement, sealing off all possible escape routes. A comprehensive sweep of the area led to the arrest of six men identified as Mikel Gendaga, 41, from Benue State; Yusuf Abubakar, 34, from Kano State; Isyaka Abraham, 30, from Kogi State; Isyaka Abubakar, 37, from Kano State; Mohammed Sumo, 20, from Kano State; and Mohammed Abubakar, 25, also from Kano State.
Police authorities stated that the suspects are currently undergoing profiling and intensive interrogation at the State Criminal Investigation Department in Benin City. Investigators are working to determine their alleged roles within the camp and to establish possible links to reported cases of kidnapping and other organised crimes in Edo State and neighbouring areas.
The statement did not indicate whether any weapons were recovered during the raid or whether additional suspects may have escaped prior to the operation. However, officials described the mission as a significant disruption of criminal activity within the forest corridor, which has long been regarded as a challenging terrain for security enforcement due to its vastness and limited accessibility.
Commissioner Agbonika commended the personnel involved for what he termed courage, discipline and operational coordination. He described the operation as a direct warning to criminal networks using forested regions as bases for kidnapping, armed robbery and other violent crimes. According to him, the command remains committed to pursuing suspects into remote and difficult terrain rather than reacting solely to incidents after they occur.
Security analysts note that forested zones across parts of southern and central Nigeria have increasingly been used by organised criminal groups as temporary camps, often leveraging the natural cover to evade detection. Edo State, strategically located between several major transport corridors, has in recent years intensified surveillance and intelligence-led patrols aimed at preventing such areas from becoming entrenched criminal sanctuaries.
The use of local hunters in the operation underscores a broader approach adopted in some states, where indigenous knowledge of terrain and forest pathways complements formal security structures. Authorities say such collaboration improves navigation, reduces operational risk and enhances the effectiveness of coordinated raids.
While no casualties were reported among security operatives during the Agbede Forest operation, police officials emphasised that sustained vigilance remains essential. The Command reiterated its appeal to residents to provide timely and credible intelligence, stressing that community cooperation remains a critical pillar in dismantling kidnapping syndicates and other criminal networks.
The arrests come amid ongoing efforts by law enforcement agencies nationwide to curb abductions for ransom and related violent crimes, which have disrupted rural communities and affected economic activities in several regions. Edo authorities indicated that investigations are ongoing and that further updates will be provided as the case progresses through prosecution.
For now, the Edo State Police Command maintains that the successful raid signals an escalation in proactive, intelligence-based enforcement. Officials insist that forested enclaves will no longer function as safe havens for criminal elements and that joint security operations will continue across vulnerable locations in the state.
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