The Edo State Police Command has recorded a major breakthrough in its efforts to rid Ekpoma of kidnappers following a reorganisation of the Ekpoma Division.
Edo State Commissioner of Police, Monday Agbonika, who has been stationed in Ekpoma for the past five days, approved the posting of CSP Tomofe Nwabueze as the new Divisional Police Officer (DPO).
The move comes after violent protests erupted in Ekpoma last weekend over the surge in kidnappings and killings in the area.
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Edo Police spokesperson, Eno Ikoedem, disclosed that the first significant arrest under the new DPO involved an 18-year-old girl, Obehi Odine, who allegedly staged her own kidnapping and demanded a ransom of ₦10 million. The incident occurred along Old INEC Road, Ekpoma, on January 12, prompting the DPO to mobilize operational units to trace the suspect.
Ikoedem explained that intelligence gathering and field investigations led to Odine’s arrest and revealed the unusual nature of the case.
“The suspect, Obehi Odine, 18, was apprehended for orchestrating her own kidnapping to extort a ransom of Ten Million Naira (₦10,000,000). She has confessed, admitting that the incident was deliberately fabricated,” Ikoedem stated.
Further operations uncovered a suspected kidnapping and logistics base in a forest enclave in Ubiaja. During the raid, 11 male suspects, believed to be members of an organised kidnapping syndicate, were arrested.
Recovered items included 24 dane guns, 17 cutlasses, three battle axes, gunpowder, torchlights, mobile phones, solar panels, assorted charms, one Daylong motorcycle, and ₦209,700 in cash.
Ikoedem warned the public against filing false kidnapping reports, emphasizing that such acts divert security resources, create unnecessary panic, and undermine public confidence. She noted that anyone caught engaging in similar deceptive acts would face prosecution.
