Police Rescue 31 Kidnap Victims In Two Days
The Nigeria Police Force (NPF) has rescued 31 kidnapped victims during operations in Taraba and Edo States, as part of its crackdown on kidnapping and banditry.
The Force Public Relations Officer, ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, disclosed this in a statement on Monday, saying the operations took place between July 11 and 12, 2025.
He explained that 17 victims were commuters travelling in a commercial bus, while 14 others were abducted along a major road.
The victims, he said, were being trafficked for ransom.
“In Edo State on Friday, July 11, 2025, at about 7:20 pm, police operatives of the state command responded to an attack along the Fugar-Agenebode road in Etsako East Local Government Area, where suspected kidnappers ambushed commuters, resulting in the death of two persons and the abduction of several others.
“A swift joint operation involving police operatives and local security outfits led to a coordinated search-and-rescue mission in the Obe Hill area, near the Ajaokuta axis.
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“The rescue team engaged the kidnappers in a gun duel near Obe Hill, causing them to flee with various degrees of gunshot injuries, and successfully rescued fourteen (14) kidnapped victims,” he stated.
Adejobi added that in a related operation in Taraba State on Saturday, July 12, 2025, at about 11:45 pm, police operatives responded to a distress call along the Wukari highway, shortly after the Federal University Wukari.
According to him, a white Toyota bus conveying 17 passengers from Enugu to Yola, Adamawa State, was ambushed by gunmen suspected to be kidnappers.
“Upon receiving the call, operatives mobilised in collaboration with other security agencies and advanced to the scene.
“On sighting the approaching security forces, the suspected kidnappers fled into the surrounding bush, leaving behind all 17 kidnapped victims unhurt,” he added.
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The Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, reaffirmed the NPF’s commitment to national security, vowing to dismantle all forms of criminal networks across the country.