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Operatives of the police command in Edo State arrested 87 suspected kidnappers and rescued 30 victims in January.
The State Commissioner of Police in Edo, Monday Agbonika, disclosed this on Friday at the command’s end-of-month press briefing in Benin.
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Mr Agbonika said the arrests followed intensified intelligence-led operations against violent crime across the state.
He described the arrests and rescues as part of sustained offensives targeting criminal hideouts in forests and flashpoints in Edo North and Edo Central.
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The commissioner said helicopter surveillance and newly deployed drones supported coordinated bush-combing, night raids, highway nipping points and sting operations.
He said the efforts led to the dismantling of several kidnappers’ camps across the state.
Mr Agbonika said the operations were conducted in synergy with the Nigerian Army, the Nigerian Air Force, and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps.
They also involved the State Security Service, the Edo Security Corps and local hunters.
Kidnapping for ransom has become one of the prevalent crimes in many Nigerian cities, with just anyone, including school pupils and clerics, as targets.
Other crimes
“Beyond kidnapping-related arrests, 13 suspected murderers, 14 suspected armed robbers and 15 suspected cultists were also apprehended,” the police commissioner said.
Mr Agbonika said the command recovered six stolen vehicles, three motorcycles and 39 mobile phones, alongside a cache of arms and ammunition.
The recovered weapons included AK-47 rifles, fabricated rifles, cut-to-size single-barreled shotguns, Dane guns, pistols and live cartridges.
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“Every weapon recovered is a life potentially saved. Every suspect arrested is a criminal network disrupted,” Mr Agbonika said.
He commended the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, for approving the deployment of helicopters and tactical intelligence support.
The commissioner also appreciated Governor Monday Okpebholo of Edo for donating drones and other logistics.
He said the support significantly enhanced real-time aerial reconnaissance and overall operational efficiency.
(NAN)
