Security operatives in Edo State have raided and dismantled five suspected kidnappers’ camps in the Ekeke Erah Forest, Owan East Local Government Area.
The operation, which took place on Thursday and Friday, was led by the Edo State Special Security Squad in partnership with the Nigerian Army, local vigilantes, and other agencies.
According to the statement released by Governor Monday Okpebholo’s Chief Press Secretary, Monday Itua, the team trekked almost five kilometres into the forest between Afuze and Ora before uncovering the camps. Signs found at the scene suggested that the kidnappers had just fled before the operatives arrived, leaving behind burning fires and food still cooking.
The raid escalated into a gun battle at a riverbank when suspected kidnappers, apparently aware of the security presence, attempted to evade capture. Though they managed to escape deeper into the forest, their hideouts were dismantled. Security personnel also found evidence of cattle grazing in the area, raising concerns that some of the camps might have been linked to armed herdsmen.
A member of the security squad, Eribo Ewanta, confirmed that the destroyed camps were active before the raid. He said the team is continuing its pursuit of the suspects and assured residents that more operations will be carried out until the criminals are apprehended.
The crackdown is part of Governor Okpebholo’s ongoing security initiative, launched in 2024 under the Edo State Special Security Squad, codenamed Operation Flush Out Cultists and Kidnappers. The outfit has been conducting raids on criminal hideouts, arresting suspects, demolishing structures used for criminal activities, and targeting the heads of cult groups to weaken their networks.
The latest raid comes as Edo continues to face security challenges, particularly kidnappings and cult-related violence along the Benin-Auchi axis. In September, police rescued 16 abducted travellers along the same highway, while earlier this year, 18 suspected kidnappers and armed robbers were arrested near an army checkpoint in the state.