SECURITY OPERATIVES CLASH WITH KIDNAPPERS, DEMOLISH CAMPS IN EDO NORTH FORESTS

The Edo State Special Security Squad, codenamed Operation Flush Out Cultists and Kidnappers, has destroyed five suspected kidnapper camps in Edo North Senatorial District during a large-scale bush-combing mission in Ekeke Erah Forest, Owan East Local Government Area.

This was disclosed in a statement by Fred Itua, Chief Press Secretary to the State Governor, Senator Monday Okpebholo, and made available to journalists.

The raid, coordinated by the Governor’s Principal Security Officer (PSO), was carried out in collaboration with the Nigerian Army, local vigilante groups, and other security agencies.

Operatives trekked nearly five kilometers into the forest between Afuze and Ora, where the camps were discovered and subsequently dismantled.

According to Eribo Ewanta, a member of the squad who briefed reporters after the six-hour operation, evidence confirmed that the camps were still active.

“We uncovered five camps, with clear signs that the occupants had just fled. Fires were still burning, and a pot of food was left cooking. This confirms the presence of suspected kidnappers in this location,” he revealed.

The exercise escalated into an exchange of gunfire at a riverbank, where suspected kidnappers, apparently tipped off about the operation, attempted to escape. Traces of cattle grazing further suggested a possible link between the hideouts and armed herders.

“We engaged the suspects in a fierce gun battle, but they retreated deeper into the forest. We are on their trail. Their camps have been destroyed, and Edo will no longer serve as a haven for criminals,” Ewanta stated.

He assured residents that the operation signaled the beginning of sustained security efforts to flush out kidnappers and other violent groups from the state.

“We are battle-ready. The Governor’s directive is clear: Edo must be rid of criminal elements. We will pursue them relentlessly until they are apprehended.”

Ewanta also commended Governor Okpebholo for his steadfast commitment to strengthening security across Edo, noting that the administration’s coordinated security strategy is restoring public confidence and sending a strong warning to criminal networks.