A coordinated security operation involving troops of the 4 Brigade of the Nigerian Army, the Nigerian Air Force, the Police, the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and the Edo State Security Forces has led to the arrest of 13 suspects believed to be members of a kidnapping syndicate just as it also recovered arms and other dangerous items in various forests across Edo State.

The operation, codenamed Operation IGBO DANU 1, was carried out to neutralise and flush out terrorists and kidnappers, as well as rescue victims, in Osara Community in Etsako West Local Government Area, and parts of Auchi and Okpella communities in Edo North Senatorial District.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, the Assistant Director, Army Public Relations, 4 Brigade, Captain Kennedy Anyanwu, disclosed that eight suspects were apprehended during the first phase of the operation.

He identified them as Jamilu Mohammad (25), Kasim Abu (33), Braimoh Affeez (31), Sulaiman Hamisu (36), Lawan Umaru (25), Bawa Auwal (24), Musa Umaru (40) and Amodu Attai (50).

According to him, “Weapons recovered from the suspects include one English auto pump-action gun, four live cartridges, and one locally made pistol.

“Other items seized were a Point-of-Sale (POS) machine, two cutlasses, a Nikon digital camera, two Android phones, a metal hook, five bottles of codeine syrup, two Indian hemp weighing scales, and quantities of substances suspected to be cannabis sativa, tramadol, ice, loud and colos.

The sum of ₦87,550 was also recovered.” Captain Anyanwu added that the suspects, along with the recovered items, had been handed over to the Edo State Police Command for further investigation.