Nigeria: Kidnappers abduct police officer, 4 others in Edo State, demand N100 million ransom

By Zuleihat Owuiye, Mamos Nigeria

On February 12, gunmen carried out two separate abductions in Akoko Edo Local Government Area, Edo State. At Makeke Primary Health Centre, a female secondary‑school student, Tope Oriloye, and a father, Samuel Ilesanmi, who had rushed his sick son to the clinic with his wife, were taken. Hours later, in Auchi, Police Inspector Segun Obanowa was seized from his home in Uma/Imoga along with his wife and daughter; the wife was later released to arrange ransom for her husband and child.

According to Bode Ekundayo, National Coordinator of the Movement for the Advancement of Akoko Edo People, the kidnappers contacted the families of Oriloye and Ilesanmi on February 9, demanding N100 million for their release. “Daring kidnappers struck again in Akoko Edo… taking away a secondary school female student, Tope Oriloye and Samuel Ilesanmi… and later in Auchi, kidnappers invaded the residence of Police Inspector Segun Obanowa…,” Ekundayo said in a statement from Benin City.

Local hunters and vigilantes from Makeke mobilized into the surrounding bush, searching through the night without success. “Hunters and vigilantes entered the bushes, combing far and near till the early hours of the following day without positive result,” Ekundayo added.

The Edo State Police Command, through spokesperson Eno Ikoedem, confirmed the incidents and said some suspects have been arrested in connection with the Makeke abduction. “I can confirm that a kidnapping case occurred at Makeke Village in Akoko Edo… Some suspects are in police custody and efforts to rescue the victims are ongoing,” Ikoedem stated.

Residents report that kidnappings have become a daily occurrence in the area, prompting the local council and traditional rulers to impose a curfew from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. daily   Community leaders are urging the state government and local authorities to act swiftly to curb the escalating insecurity.