POLICE FOIL RANSOM PLOT, RESCUE 70-YEAR-OLD KIDNAP VICTIM IN EDO
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By Aishat Momoh. O.
The Edo State Police Command has foiled a ransom payment plot and rescued a 70-year-old man abducted in the state.
In a statement on Saturday, the command’s spokesperson, Eno Ikoedem, said the victim, Pa Jonah Owobu of Uwalo Oke, Uromi in Edo Central, was reported missing after failing to return from his farm on April 20, 2026.
According to the statement, the victim’s wife raised the alarm the following morning, noting that unknown individuals had contacted the family around 9:30 p.m. on the day of his disappearance, demanding a ransom of ₦30 million.
“The command, under the leadership of the Commissioner of Police, Monday Agbonika, successfully rescued the kidnapped victim following a swift and coordinated search and rescue operation,” the statement read.
Police said a joint team comprising operatives, military personnel, local hunters, and members of the Edo State Security Corps was immediately mobilised to comb surrounding forests.
During the operation, the victim’s abandoned motorcycle and personal belongings were discovered along a forest route, providing critical leads that guided operatives to the kidnappers’ hideout.
“On sighting the advancing operatives, the suspected kidnappers fled into the bush, abandoning the victim,” the police said.
The victim was rescued unhurt and has since been reunited with his family.
Authorities added that bush-combing operations and a manhunt for the fleeing suspects are ongoing.
The police command reaffirmed its commitment to tackling kidnapping and other crimes in the state, urging residents to provide timely and credible information to security agencies.
The development comes amid ongoing security operations in the state, with police confirming that nine other victims were recently rescued from separate kidnapping incidents, including three from a GUO bus attack and six from other locations.
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