Reported by Ariajegbe Sylvia Esezobor
Troops of the Nigerian Army, in collaboration with other security agencies, have rescued a kidnapped victim and neutralised three suspected kidnappers during an intelligence-led operation in Akoko-Edo Local Government Area of Edo State, recovering three locally fabricated guns and other items in what security sources described as a decisive blow against a kidnapping gang operating in the forested belt along the Edo-Kogi boundary.
The operation was conducted in the early hours of Sunday, October 11, 2026, at about 2 a.m., following credible intelligence and technical support. According to a statement issued by the Edo State Police Command through its Public Relations Officer, ASP Eno Ikoedem, the joint team comprised police operatives from the Igarra Division, the Nigerian Army's 195 Battalion, the Department of State Services, local hunters and members of the Edo State Security Corps. The team stormed the Geo Works bushes and forest bordering Otuo, where the victim, identified as Michael Akano, had been held following his abduction on October 9, 2026.
Security analyst Zagazola Makama, quoting security sources, reported that the operation was carried out by troops of the 195 Battalion (Reconnaissance) and resulted in the neutralisation of three suspected kidnappers. The rescued victim was identified as Prince Michael Akao, the son of a traditional ruler in the area. The discrepancy between the names provided by the police and the security analyst could not be immediately reconciled, though both accounts referred to the same operation and the same victim.
The police said three suspected members of the kidnapping gang were neutralised during a gun duel while others escaped with gunshot wounds. The victim was rescued unhurt and taken to a hospital for medical attention, where he was reported to be responding well to treatment. Exhibits recovered from the scene included three locally fabricated single-barrel shotguns, eight live cartridges, five expended cartridges, two cutlasses and five mobile handsets of different brands. The Army also recovered three locally fabricated guns and nine cartridges during the operation. The recovered items were handed over to the Department of State Services, while the bodies of the neutralised suspects were deposited at the General Hospital mortuary in Igarra for autopsy. A bush-combing operation was said to be ongoing to track down and apprehend the fleeing suspects.
The Commissioner of Police in Edo State, CP Patrick Daaor, commended the joint security team for its swift response and effective collaboration. He reiterated the command's commitment to sustaining intelligence-led operations and denying criminal elements safe havens across the state, while urging residents to continue providing timely and credible information to security agencies. The Army said it would sustain intelligence-driven operations with other security agencies to dismantle kidnapping networks, deny criminal elements safe havens and protect communities. It added that the operation was part of ongoing efforts to strengthen security and prevent criminals from using forested areas to threaten lives and public safety.
The operation reflects the growing emphasis on inter-agency collaboration in Edo State's security architecture. The involvement of the police, Army, DSS, local hunters and the Edo State Security Corps in a single operation underscores the multi-layered approach that the state government has adopted to confront kidnapping and other violent crimes. In June 2026, Governor Monday Okpebholo threatened to publicly execute convicted kidnappers and cultists, saying his administration would set up a special court to speedily prosecute such cases. The government has also established the Edo State Special Security Squad, Operation Flush Out Kidnapping and Cultists, to complement the work of conventional security agencies. In September, the governor said he began casting out demons at 17, claiming that fighting insecurity, especially cultism and kidnapping, was not new to him. The latest operation in Akoko-Edo adds to a series of successful interventions recorded by security agencies in the state in recent months, including the rescue of kidnapped victims and the arrest of suspects linked to cultism and armed robbery.
The Akoko-Edo forest belt has long been identified as a hideout for criminal groups operating across Edo, Kogi and Ondo states. Its dense vegetation, difficult terrain and proximity to major highways make it attractive to kidnappers seeking to hold victims in remote locations while negotiating ransoms. In August 2026, troops of the 4 Brigade Nigerian Army, in conjunction with the Nigeria Police Force, rescued a 50-year-old farmer, Lucky Egbiki, in Ubiaja, Esan South East Local Government Area, after killing one suspected kidnapper during a coordinated operation. In September 2026, security operatives arrested a suspected member of a kidnapping syndicate in Edo and recovered a locally fabricated pistol. The command has consistently attributed its operational successes to intelligence-led policing, community cooperation and inter-agency collaboration.
The political context of the operation is significant. The 2027 general elections are less than four months away, with the presidential and National Assembly elections scheduled for January 16, and the governorship and state assembly elections for February 6. Security has emerged as one of the central issues in the campaign, alongside the cost of living and the economy. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is seeking a second term on the All Progressives Congress platform, while former Vice President Atiku Abubakar of the African Democratic Congress, former Anambra Governor Peter Obi of the Nigeria Democratic Congress and Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde of the Allied Peoples Movement are among the major challengers. Edo State, as a key South-South state, will be one of the battlegrounds in the presidential contest, and the government's handling of security will be part of the broader assessment of its record. Governor Okpebholo has consistently linked security to economic development, arguing that the confidence restored in communities and among investors is directly attributable to the reduction in kidnapping, cultism and other violent crimes.
For the people of Akoko-Edo and the surrounding communities, the rescue of the victim and the neutralisation of the suspected kidnappers represent a measure of relief from the threat that has made travel through the forested areas of the local government area perilous. For the family of the rescued victim, the operation ended two days of agonising uncertainty. For the security agencies involved, the operation is another demonstration of the value of intelligence sharing and coordinated action. For the fleeing suspects, the bush-combing operation continues, and the police have urged residents to provide timely and credible information to assist in their arrest. As the Army put it, operations will continue until criminal elements are denied the safe havens they have used to threaten lives and public safety in Edo State.
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