The Edo State Police Command has arrested five suspected members of an alleged interstate kidnapping syndicate and recovered two AK-47 rifles, a pump-action firearm and ammunition during an intelligence-led operation.
The development has drawn commendation from the Coalition for Law Enforcement Justice, which described the operation as a significant step in tackling kidnapping networks operating across Edo, Kogi, Niger and neighbouring states.
According to the Coalition, the operation was linked to the August 8, 2026 abduction of Mohammed Tasiu Imokhe and his wife at their residence in Jatu, Uzairue, Etsako West Local Government Area of Edo State.
The victims were reportedly released after a ransom was paid, but investigators continued to pursue leads in an effort to identify and apprehend those allegedly responsible.
The Coalition said the investigation involved intelligence from the Technical Intelligence Unit in Abuja, alongside local intelligence gathered by specialised units of the Edo State Police Command.
It further stated that operatives of the Violence and Crime Reduction Unit, VCRU, and the Anti-Kidnapping and Cyber Crime Unit extended their investigation across state boundaries into Niger State.
According to the organisation, a suspected native doctor identified as Malam Jibril Ibrahim was arrested at Paiko along the Abuja-Minna Expressway. His arrest allegedly led investigators to four other suspects identified as Mohammed Abubakar, Tukur Adam, also known as Dogo, Musa Ibrahim and Iro Ibrahim.
The Coalition commended the Commissioner of Police, CP Patrick Daaor, as well as the officers involved in the operation, particularly CSP Godspower Osagie of the VCRU and SP Cletus Akaaka of the Anti-Kidnapping and Cyber Crime Unit.
It said the arrests demonstrated the importance of intelligence sharing and coordinated operations in tackling criminal networks that operate across state boundaries.
The organisation also called for thorough forensic examination of the recovered firearms and other exhibits, noting that ballistic and digital evidence could be important in establishing possible links between the suspects and previous criminal incidents.
It further stressed the importance of corroborating any statements allegedly made by the suspects with independent physical, forensic and digital evidence to ensure that any prosecution meets the requirements of the law.
The arrests and recovery of weapons were reportedly presented during a briefing by CP Patrick Daaor at the Police Command Headquarters in Benin City, where other exhibits, including a white Mercedes-Benz GLK reportedly linked to a separate investigation, were also displayed.
The Coalition for Law Enforcement Justice, represented by Success Ude and Nkechi Edigbo, said it supports professional policing, intelligence-led investigations and due process, while expressing hope that the investigation would culminate in prosecution where sufficient evidence is established.
By Enitan Mudashiru | MUK TV News
