According to the Edo State Police Command, it detained 113 suspected kidnappers in a single day.
According to reports, this was revealed in a statement given to reporters on Thursday, 26, 2026 in Benin City by the Command’s Public Relations Officer, ASP Eno Ikoedem.
According to Ikoedem, the suspects were taken into custody in “Zangos” in Agbede and Iruekpen on Thursday, February 26, 2026, at around three in the morning. This was done in coordination with the Nigerian Army, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, the NSCDC, vigilante organizations, and local hunters.
According to her, the detained individuals are presently being thoroughly profiled to determine their degree of involvement.
According to her, the suspects and their accomplices were apprehended at specific Zango communities in Agbede and Iruekpen, where they gathered to obtain ransom money.
The statement claims that the Edo State Police Command, led by the decisive and results-driven Commissioner of Police, Monday Agbonika, launched a massive joint security sweep across strategic locations in Edo Central at approximately 0300 hours on February 26, 2026, as part of a bold, intelligence-driven operation.
“Acting on reliable information that ransom money from kidnapping operations was being secretly collected and organized at designated “Zangos” in Agbede and Iruekpen.”
In a coordinated enforcement action, the Commissioner of Police personally oversaw a powerful joint task force that included members of the Nigeria Police Force, the Nigerian Army, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, the NSCDC, vigilante organizations, and local hunters.
When actionable intelligence revealed that suspected kidnappers and their associates congregate to accept ransom money, reassemble, and blend in with unwary members of the public, coordinated raids were conducted on the designated Zango communities in Agbede and Iruekpen.
A total of 113 suspects were apprehended as a result of the precision raids. Every suspect is presently being thoroughly profiled in order to determine their degree of involvement.
She declared, “Those found guilty will be subject to the full force of the law.”
In the meantime, Monday Agbonika, the State Commissioner of Police, has reaffirmed that the Command will continue its unrelenting and uncompromising campaign against organized kidnapping networks.
Agbonika underlined that in addition to targeting armed forces in the forests, the police will step up their efforts to weaken their human and financial support networks throughout the state.
However, he urged citizens to maintain their vigilance and to keep giving security services accurate and timely information, promising that all intelligence will be handled with the utmost discretion.
In addition to warning that there would be no haven for kidnappers or their accomplices anywhere in Edo State, he asserted that the Command is still resolute, aggressive, and prepared for fight to protect people and property.
