Police arrest 821 suspects, rescue 377 kidnap victims in Edo

No fewer than 821 suspects were arrested for various offences by operatives of the Edo State Police Command in 2025.

The state Commissioner of Police, Monday Agbonika, stated this on Monday at the command’s year-end security review and measures put in place to guarantee a peaceful Christmas and New Year celebration in the state.

Agbonika said the arrests cut across major crime categories, including 39 armed robbery suspects, 171 kidnapping suspects, 117 murder suspects, 62 linked to rape and sexual offences, 239 cultism suspects, 36 arrested for unlawful possession of firearms, and 157 others for various offences.

He said the command also made significant recoveries during the year, including 11 stolen vehicles, 188 arms of different calibres and 422 rounds of ammunition, underscoring what he described as “a decisive push against organised crime and violent criminality.”

He attributed the successes to proactive and intelligence-driven policing, particularly heightened security operations rolled out for the Yuletide season.

These included intensified visibility policing, strategic patrols, targeted stop-and-search operations, intelligence-led deployments and sustained community engagement aimed at deterring crime and boosting public confidence.

He added, “No fewer than 821 suspects were arrested for various offences by operatives of the Edo State Police Command in 2025.

“A major highlight of the command’s operations was a large-scale clearance operation in Edo North, personally led by the Commissioner of Police to deny criminal elements access to forests and other ungoverned spaces often used as hideouts.

“The operation, which ran from Saturday, 14 December to Saturday, 20 December 2025, was conducted with the approval and support of the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Kayode Egbetokun, who authorised the deployment of police helicopters and drones from the Police Air Wing. The Edo State Government, under Governor Monday Okpebholo, provided critical logistical support.”

Agbonika explained that the exercise combined ground troops with aerial surveillance and was executed through robust inter-agency collaboration involving the Nigerian Army’s 4 Brigade, the Nigerian Air Force 107 Air Maritime Group, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, forest guards, local vigilantes and hunters. He assured that the clearance operation would be sustained beyond the festive period.

While wishing residents a peaceful and prosperous Christmas and New Year, the CP urged the public to remain vigilant, law-abiding and cooperative with security agencies, stressing that security is a collective responsibility.

He also issued a stern warning over the reported disappearance of corpses from some private morgues in the state, describing the acts as criminal, inhuman and a gross violation of the dignity of the deceased and the emotions of bereaved families.

Agbonika vowed that anyone found culpable would face the full weight of the law and advised families to patronise government-owned mortuaries where proper oversight is guaranteed.

The commissioner reaffirmed that the command’s 24-hour emergency lines remain active, calling on residents to promptly report suspicious activities as the state moves into the festive season.

On Thursday, the Lagos State Police Command arrested five suspects in connection with a staged kidnapping incident that went viral last month.

The incident involved a schoolboy pleading for mercy in a purported kidnapper’s den.