The Edo State Police Command has apprehended an 18-year-old girl, Obehi Odine, for allegedly faking her own abduction, alongside 11 other suspects accused of belonging to a kidnapping network.
According to a statement issued on Tuesday by the command’s spokesperson, Eno Ikoedem, several items, including weapons, were seized during the operations.
The statement read, “A suspect, one Obehi Odine ‘F’, aged 18, was arrested for staging her own kidnap and demanding a ransom of ₦10 million.
She has confessed to the crime, admitting that the incident was deliberately fabricated to extort money.”
In a separate operation carried out in Ubiaja, the command announced another breakthrough following an extensive bush-clearing exercise.
“The Divisional Police Officer, Ubiaja, personally led a coordinated bush-combing operation around Akwocha Camp and adjoining forest corridors, in collaboration with the Nigerian Military and the Edo State Security Corps (ESSC).
“A concealed forest enclave, identified by the drone squadron through intelligence generated from air surveillance as a suspected kidnapping and logistics base, was stormed.
“This resulted in the arrest of 11 male suspects believed to be members of an organised kidnapping syndicate.
“Exhibits recovered include 24 dane guns, 17 cutlasses, three battle axes, gunpowder, torchlights, mobile phones, solar panels, assorted charms, one motorcycle, and ₦209,700 among other items.”
Meanwhile, the Commissioner of Police, Monday Agbonika, cautioned residents against filing fake kidnapping claims or engaging in other misleading practices.
He explained that false reports strain security resources, distract law enforcement from real threats, cause public anxiety, and erode trust in security agencies. “Anyone caught will be prosecuted accordingly,” he warned.
Agbonika further reaffirmed the command’s commitment to technology-based policing, sustained forest surveillance, and intelligence-focused strategies aimed at dismantling criminal groups across the state.
He also appealed to members of the public to assist the police by providing prompt and reliable information.
Reports that suspected kidnappers demanded ₦100 million as ransom for eight residents of Imoga who were abducted on Friday night.
The Okpahi of Imoga Kingdom, Oba Patrick Obajoye, revealed this during a phone interview on Monday.
He stated that the victims were taken from Star Boy Hotel along the Imoga–Ibillo Road in Edo North.
According to the monarch, the victims had traveled to Ibillo for an event and chose to stay overnight at the hotel, which is owned by an Imoga native.
He added that the kidnappers reportedly arrived at the hotel dressed in military uniforms, brought drinks with them, and posed as people waiting for someone before carrying out the abduction.