Troops of the Nigerian Army’s 4 Brigade, in collaboration with personnel of the Nigerian Air Force, the Edo State Police Command, the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), and the Edo State Security Corps, have dismantled suspected kidnappers’ hideouts and arrested 13 suspects during coordinated security operations across the Edo North Senatorial District.
The clearance exercise, code-named Operation IGBO DANU 1, was conducted on 4 February 2026 at Osara Community in Etsako West Local Government Area, as well as in Auchi and Okpella communities. Eight suspects, believed to be involved in kidnapping and illicit drug activities, were arrested during the operation.
Items recovered from the suspects included a pump-action shotgun, live cartridges, a locally fabricated pistol, a Point of Sale (POS) machine, cutlasses, mobile phones, a digital camera, drug-related substances, and cash totaling ₦87,550.
In a related operation, troops combed the Aviele Forest in Etsako West LGA, resulting in the arrest of five additional suspected kidnappers. Recovered items from the forest raid included two motorcycles, mobile phones, and a power bank.
All suspects and recovered exhibits have been handed over to the Edo State Police Command for further investigation and prosecution.
The Commander of 4 Brigade, Brigadier General Ahmed Balogun, who led the operations, commended the effective inter-agency collaboration and warned that Edo State would remain a hostile environment for kidnappers, terrorists, and other criminal elements. He reaffirmed the Brigade’s commitment to the protection of lives and property and acknowledged the strategic support of the General Officer Commanding, 2 Division Nigerian Army, Major General Chinedu Nnebeife.
