Police in Edo State have rescued a kidnapped farmer and his two wives and arrested 13 suspects in separate operations targeting kidnapping and pipeline vandalism across the state.
The Edo State Police Command disclosed this in a statement on Sunday by its spokesperson, Eno Ikoedem.
She stated that the successes followed intelligence-driven operations in Esan West and Owan West Local Government Areas under the directive of the Commissioner of Police, Monday Agbonika.
According to the statement seen by Dockaysworld, the farmer and his two wives were abducted from their farm in a remote area of Egoro Amende Community, Ekpoma, on Thursday, January 29, 2026.
“Upon sighting the advancing security operatives, the kidnappers abandoned the victims and fled,” the statement said.
The command explained that the rescue followed a joint operation involving police personnel, soldiers, the Edo State Security Corps, vigilantes, hunters and community youths.
Items recovered at the scene included cutlasses, a solar panel, torch, canvas, rope, palm oil and a face cap.
The police further disclosed that in related operations, eight suspected kidnappers were arrested during a coordinated bush-combing exercise in the Idoha/Ewu Forest, where three tents believed to be kidnappers’ camps were discovered.
“This resulted in the arrest of eight suspects and the recovery of five mobile phones suspected to belong to kidnapped victims,” the statement noted.
In a separate operation, police said five suspects were arrested in Ekpoma over the vandalism of a Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited pipeline at Uhiele Community.
“Operatives of Ekpoma Division immediately mobilised to the location and successfully arrested five suspects in connection with the act,” the statement added.
