Edo State Security forces have dismantled five suspected kidnappers’ hideouts in Ekeke, Erah, Owan East Local Government Area of Edo State , as part of an ongoing offensive against criminal elements in the region.
The raid, carried out by the Edo State Special Security Squad, codenamed Operation Flush Out Cultists and Kidnappers, followed an extensive bush-combing mission that saw operatives trek nearly five kilometers into the dense forest between Afuze and Ora.
The operation was led by the Principal Security Officer to the Governor and executed in collaboration with the Nigerian Army, local vigilante units, and other security agencies.
Speaking after the six-hour exercise, a member of the squad, Eribo Ewanta, revealed that the camps appeared to be in active use prior to the raid.
“We discovered five camps, with clear indications that their occupants had only just fled. We found fire still burning and a pot of food left on the fire. This confirms the presence of suspected kidnappers in this area,” he said.
The situation escalated into a firefight at a nearby riverbank after the suspected kidnappers, apparently alerted to the advancing security forces, opened fire in an attempt to evade capture. Ewanta noted that while the suspects managed to escape deeper into the forest, the team remains in pursuit.
“We engaged the suspects in a serious gun duel, but they escaped deeper into the forest. Nevertheless, we are on their trail. Their camps have been dismantled and destroyed. Edo State will no longer provide safe haven for criminal elements,” he declared.
Security personnel also found signs of cattle grazing in the forest, further raising suspicion that the hideouts may have been connected to armed herdsmen operating in the area.
Ewanta emphasized that the crackdown is only the beginning of a wider, sustained security initiative aimed at flushing out kidnappers, cultists, and other violent groups threatening the safety of residents.
“We are battle ready. The directive of the Governor is clear: Edo must be free of criminal elements. We will pursue them relentlessly until they are apprehended,” he added.
He also commended Governor Monday Okpebholo for his commitment to enhancing the state’s security architecture, noting that the administration’s proactive strategy is rebuilding public trust and sending a clear warning to criminal gangs operating within Edo.
