By Imisioluwa Afunmiso
The Edo State Police Command has rescued four persons abducted by suspected kidnappers along the Lagos-Benin Expressway, as security operatives intensified efforts to apprehend the fleeing suspects.
The victims were rescued following a coordinated operation involving the police, members of the Vigilante Group of Nigeria (VGN), local hunters and other security stakeholders.
According to a statement issued on Friday by the Police Public Relations Officer, Edo State Command, ASP Eno Ikoedem, the incident occurred at about 10:40 p.m. on July 30, 2026, around the Ugbokun axis, before the military checkpoint along the Lagos-Benin Expressway.
Ikoedem said information received by the police indicated that about three armed men, dressed in vigilante uniforms, had blocked the highway with logs of wood and leaves before attacking motorists and abducting some occupants into the surrounding forest.
Upon receiving the report, the Divisional Police Officer, Okada Division, immediately mobilised a combined team of police operatives, VGN members, local hunters and other security partners to the area.
The security team commenced an aggressive bush-combing operation to locate the abducted persons and apprehend the assailants.
The operation was also supported by drone technology deployed to aid surveillance and the search for the victims.
The police said the sustained pressure mounted on the suspected kidnappers forced them to release their captives before fleeing into the forest.
The rescued victims were identified as Muritala Babatunde, Bello Aminat, Otor Prince and Yeiyah Gift.
The four victims were rescued unhurt and have since been reunited with their families.
The Edo State Police Command commended the personnel and other security stakeholders involved in the operation for their bravery, professionalism and effective collaboration.
The Command also assured residents that it would sustain its offensive against kidnapping and other violent crimes across the state.
It further disclosed that operations were ongoing to track down and arrest the fleeing suspects, urging members of the public to provide the police with timely and credible information that could assist ongoing investigations and operations.