Police recover two kidnap victims’ bodies in Edo forest, arrest suspect

The Edo State Police Command has recovered the bodies of two kidnap victims and arrested a suspected member of a kidnapping syndicate operating in Ovia North-East Local Government Area of the state.

 

Police spokesperson, CSP Eno Ikoedem, disclosed this in a statement on Wednesday, saying one of the recovered bodies has been identified as that of 66-year-old Favour Nosakhare, who was abducted alongside Emmanuel Annabel Osasere, 28, and Rejoice Otikpere, 26, on May 9, 2026.

 

According to the police, the victims were kidnapped after armed men invaded their residence in Iyowa Community and took them into a nearby forest.

 

Days after the abduction, the kidnappers reportedly contacted the victims’ families through a video call, during which the women were seen being tortured while ransom was demanded for their release.

 

The command said operatives of the Violent Crime Response Unit (VCRU), working with the Police Drone Unit, launched sustained search and rescue operations across forests and identified criminal hideouts in Ovia North-East and neighbouring areas.

 

The statement said operatives on May 19 engaged members of the kidnapping gang in a gun battle along the powerline axis of the Ovia forest.

 

“The suspects engaged the police in a fierce gun duel but were overwhelmed by the superior firepower of the operatives. As a result, the hoodlums fled into the bush with gunshot injuries,” the statement said.

 

Police said a blood-stained jacket and expended AK-47 ammunition were recovered from the scene, while surveillance and tracking operations were intensified.

 

The investigation later led to the arrest of 23-year-old Musa Haruna, who was found with a gunshot wound and allegedly confessed to being a member of the kidnapping syndicate.

 

According to the police, the suspect led operatives to a forest in Ogwa Community, where two decomposing bodies were recovered on June 2.

 

“One of the bodies has been identified by the family as that of Mrs Favour Nosakhare, one of the victims abducted during the May 9 incident,” the statement added.

 

The command said efforts were ongoing to apprehend other members of the gang still at large.

 

Commissioner of Police, Monday Agbonika, commended operatives of the VCRU and Drone Unit for their professionalism and dedication, assuring residents that the command remains committed to dismantling criminal networks across the state.

 

He also urged members of the public to continue providing credible and timely information to support ongoing security operations.