Army, Police Arrest 8 Suspected Kidnappers, Seize Drugs and Weapons in Edo Security Crackdown

Eight suspected kidnappers and drug traffickers have been arrested in Edo State following a joint security operation targeting criminal networks in the state’s northern axis.

Troops of the Nigerian Army, working alongside the Edo State Police Command, the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps and the State Security Service, carried out the coordinated raid under an operation codenamed IGBO DANU 1.

The operation, led by the 4 Brigade in Benin City, focused on Osara Community in Etsako West Local Government Area, as well as Auchi and Okpella communities in Edo North Senatorial District.

Suspects Named, Weapons and Drugs Recovered

According to Captain Kennedy Anyanwu, Assistant Director of Army Public Relations for the Brigade, the operation was executed on February 4, 2026, with the objective of flushing out kidnappers, rescuing victims and dismantling criminal hideouts.

The eight suspects were identified as Jamilu Mohammad, Kasim Abu, Braimoh Affeez, Sulaiman Hamisu, Lawan Umaru, Bawa Auwal, Musa Umaru and Amodu Attai.

Security operatives recovered a cache of weapons and suspected illicit substances during the raid. Items seized include:

• One English-made pump-action gun
• Four live cartridges
• One locally fabricated pistol
• Five bottles of codeine syrup
• Suspected cannabis sativa, tramadol, “ice,” “loud,” and “colos”
• Two weighing scales believed to be used for Indian hemp distribution

Other materials found in their possession included a Point-of-Sale (POS) machine, two cutlasses, a Nikon digital camera, two Android phones, a metal hook and N87,550 in cash.

Authorities said the suspects and recovered exhibits have been transferred to the Edo State Police Command for further investigation and possible prosecution.

‘Edo Will Be Uninhabitable for Criminals’ — Brigade Commander

The Commander of 4 Brigade, Brigadier General Ahmed Balogun, who supervised the operation, praised the collaboration between security agencies, describing it as swift and effective.

He warned that Edo State would become “untenable” for kidnappers, terrorists and other criminal elements seeking to operate within the state.

Balogun also reaffirmed the Brigade’s commitment to protecting lives and property, while commending the General Officer Commanding 2 Division of the Nigerian Army, Major General Chinedu Nnebeife, for his strategic leadership and support.

The operation marks another push by security forces to curb kidnapping and drug-related crimes in Edo North, an area that has faced periodic security concerns in recent years.