- Edo kidnapping incident involves nine family members
- Five victims rescued after police gun duel
- Four still held captive by kidnappers
- ₦260 million ransom demanded by abductors
Suspected kidnappers have abducted nine members of a single family in Edo State, demanding a ransom of ₦260 million, in an attack that has once again raised concerns over rising insecurity in the state.
The kidnapping occurred on Monday, February 2, 2026, around 5:00 pm, along the Eko-Abeku-Iyowa road in Evboneka community, close to the Benin-Akure highway.
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The victims included five schoolchildren, a nursing mother and her baby, and two other family members. The father of the victims, Mr. Festus Bamidele, said the family was attacked while returning from school.
According to Bamidele, the kidnappers later released the nursing mother and her baby after heavy rainfall on the same day. The family only became aware of the abduction when both returned home.
With the help of local vigilantes and the Mobile Police in Evboneka community, three pre-kindergarten pupils were later rescued.
However, four family members, aged between 11 and 26, remain in captivity. Those still being held include Bamidele’s children, his junior sister, and a sister-in-law.
Bamidele revealed that the kidnappers have contacted the family and are demanding ₦260 million for their release.
“That amount is impossible for me to raise. I am begging the kidnappers to release them,” he said.
Confirming the incident, the Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Eno Ikoedem, said operatives of the Ekiadolor Division engaged the kidnappers in a gun duel and rescued five victims unhurt, while four others were taken away.
“On 2/2/2026 at about 1800hrs, suspected kidnappers attacked a family of nine during a bush clearance operation at Iyowa Bush,” she stated.
She added that the police, in collaboration with hunters and vigilantes, have launched an intensive bush combing operation to rescue the remaining victims.
Bamidele has appealed to security agencies and the Edo State Government to ensure the safe return of his family members.
