From Tony Osauzo, Benin
The Edo State Special Security Squad has dismantled five suspected kidnappers’ camps in Edo North Senatorial District following an extensive bush-combing operation in Ekeke Erah Forest, Owan East Local Government Area.
The exercise codenamed “Operation Flush Out Cultists and Kidnappers” was jointly carried out by the Nigerian Army, local vigilante groups, and other sister security agencies. It was coordinated by the Principal Security Officer (PSO) to the Governor.
Chief Press Secretary to Governor Monday Okpebholo, Fred Itua, in a statement, said Security operatives trekked nearly five kilometers deep into the forest, between Afuze and Ora, where the camps were uncovered and subsequently destroyed.
Eribo Ewanta, a member of the Squad, was quoted as saying: “We discovered five camps, with clear indications that their occupants had only just fled. We found a fire still burning and a pot of food left on the fire. This confirms the presence of suspected kidnappers in this area.”
According to the statement, the team reported that the operation escalated into an exchange of gunfire at a riverbank, as suspected kidnappers, apparently alerted to the security incursion, attempted to evade capture. Evidence of cattle grazing in the forest further raised suspicion that the hideouts may have been linked to armed herdsmen.
“We engaged the suspects in a serious gun duel, but they escaped deeper into the forest. Nevertheless, we are on their trail. Their camps have been dismantled and destroyed. Edo State will no longer provide safe haven for criminal elements,” Ewanta declared.
He assured Edo residents that the operation marked the beginning of sustained efforts to flush out kidnappers and other violent groups from the state.
He commended Governor Monday Okpebholo for his unwavering commitment to providing security across the State, noting that the administration’s coordinated strategy had restored public confidence.
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