Police rescue 31 kidnap victims in Taraba, Edo

In a sustained effort against banditry and kidnapping, the Nigeria Police Force has again recorded significant breakthroughs in Taraba and Edo States, successfully rescuing thirty-one (31) kidnapped victims in two separate coordinated operations.

The Force Public Relations Officer (FPRO), ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, stated this in a press statement issued and made available to journalists on Friday.

The statement added that in Edo State on Friday, 11th July 2025, at about 7:20 pm, police operatives of the state command responded to an attack along the Fugar-Agenebode Road in Etsako East Local Government Area, where suspected kidnappers ambushed commuters, resulting in the death of two persons and the abduction of several others.

It stated further that a swift joint operation involving police operatives and local security outfits led to a coordinated search-and-rescue mission in the Obe Hill area, near the Ajaokuta axis.

The statement stressed that the rescue team engaged the kidnappers in a gun duel near Obe Hill, causing them to flee with various degrees of gunshot injuries, and successfully rescued fourteen (14) kidnapped victims, stating that “efforts are being intensified to ensure the fleeing perpetrators are brought to justice”.

Furthermore, in a related development in Taraba State on Saturday, 12th July 2025, at about 11:45 pm, police operatives responded swiftly to a distress call reporting a kidnapping incident along the Wukari Highway, after Federal University Wukari, where a white Toyota bus conveying 17 passengers from Enugu to Yola, Adamawa State, had been ambushed by armed men suspected to be kidnappers.

According to the FPRO, ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, “Upon receiving the call, operatives mobilised in collaboration with other security agencies and advanced to the scene. On sighting the approaching security forces, the suspected kidnappers fled into the surrounding bush, leaving behind all 17 kidnapped victims unhurt.”

He added that “efforts are underway to apprehend the fleeing culprits”.

Meanwhile, the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, has commended the gallantry and swift action of the operatives involved in both operations, emphasising that these successful outcomes reflect the reinforced commitment of the Nigeria Police Force to citizen protection and national security.

The IGP further assured members of the public that targeted operations to dismantle criminal networks across the country will continue with renewed vigour.

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