CP DAAOR MOVES AGAINST CRIMINALS — SECURITY OPERATIVES STORM FOREST, KIDNAPPERS ESCAPE WITH GUNSHOT WOUNDS AS POLICE PROBE ADC CHAIRMAN’S ROBBERY
BENIN CITY, EDO STATE — The Edo State Police Command has recorded another major breakthrough in its ongoing fight against kidnapping following the successful rescue of a 66-year-old man, Mr. Obareki Emmanuel, from kidnappers in the Ibeakuma Forest on Sunday, September 6, 2026.
The rescue followed a sustained intelligence-led operation mounted by security agencies after the victim and his wife were abducted.
The victim’s wife had earlier been rescued unhurt on September 4, according to the Edo State Police Command.
Rather than allowing the operation to end with the rescue of the woman, security operatives intensified intelligence gathering, technical surveillance and bush-combing operations aimed at locating her husband and tracking the kidnappers holding him captive.
The intensified operation eventually led security agencies to the Ibeakuma Forest, where the kidnappers were reportedly tracked to a location where they had positioned themselves to collect ransom.
At about 4:30 p.m. on Sunday, security operatives comprising personnel of the Nigeria Police Force, Nigerian Army, Edo State Security Corps, 82 Mobile Police Force and vigilantes moved into the area.
The operation resulted in the successful rescue of Obareki Emmanuel, who was recovered unhurt.
The security team also recovered the ransom money during the operation.
According to the police, the kidnappers engaged the security operatives in a gun battle before fleeing deeper into the forest.
The fleeing suspects reportedly escaped with gunshot wounds sustained during the encounter.
The forest operation has not been called off.
The police said bush-combing remains ongoing as security operatives intensify efforts to track the fleeing suspects, arrest them and bring them to justice.
The latest rescue represents another indication of the increasing emphasis being placed by the Edo State Police Command on intelligence-driven operations and coordinated action against kidnapping networks operating in difficult forest terrain.
The operation also demonstrates the importance of cooperation between the police, military, state security structures and local vigilante groups in responding to kidnapping incidents, particularly in areas where criminal groups attempt to exploit forests and rural locations as hideouts.
The Commissioner of Police, Edo State Command, CP Patrick Daaor, PSC(+), MNIPS, has continued to emphasise intelligence gathering, rapid response and collaboration with other security agencies as key components of the Command’s strategy against violent crime.
The successful rescue of Emmanuel comes only days after the recovery of his wife, showing that the security operation remained active even after one of the victims had been rescued.
For the family of the 66-year-old victim, the development brings an end to the immediate ordeal after days in captivity and uncertainty.
Meanwhile, the Edo State Police Command is also investigating a separate robbery incident involving the residence of the Edo State Chairman of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, Hon. Kennedy Odion.
The incident reportedly occurred at about 3:00 a.m. on Sunday, September 6, 2026, at the politician’s residence off Winners Road, Uhie, Benin City.
According to the police, suspected armed hoodlums invaded the residence and reportedly made away with four mobile phones, ₦500,000 in cash, two Toyota Highlander vehicles and other valuables.
The incident has triggered an immediate police investigation.
CP Patrick Daaor personally visited the scene following the reported robbery and directed that a comprehensive investigation be launched with the objective of identifying and apprehending those responsible.
The case has been taken over by the Violent Crime Response Unit, VCRU, while detectives have processed the crime scene and commenced investigative activities.
Investigators are expected to examine available evidence, intelligence and other leads in an effort to establish the identities and movements of the suspects.
The police investigation will also seek to determine how the perpetrators gained access to the residence, their escape route and the whereabouts of the stolen vehicles and other valuables.
The robbery investigation remains separate from the Ibeakuma Forest kidnapping operation.
The Command said it would deploy every available resource to protect lives and property and ensure that criminal elements are brought to justice.
The two developments come as the Edo Police Command continues to confront security challenges involving kidnapping, armed robbery and other violent crimes across the state.
The rescue operation in Ibeakuma also highlights the increasingly important role of coordinated intelligence and rapid deployment in the fight against kidnapping.
Rather than waiting for ransom negotiations to end before taking further action, security operatives sustained their intelligence operation and were able to locate the victim and disrupt the kidnappers’ ransom collection effort.
The recovery of the ransom money is another significant development, while the reported gunshot wounds suffered by some of the fleeing suspects could provide investigators with additional leads as the bush-combing operation continues.
The police have urged residents to remain vigilant and provide credible and timely information that could assist security agencies in identifying criminal hideouts and preventing attacks.
The Command also reiterated its commitment to professional, proactive and intelligence-led policing while assuring residents that the security agencies would continue working together to confront criminal networks across Edo State.
With the kidnapped victim now safely rescued, attention has shifted to the ongoing forest operation and the effort to apprehend the fleeing suspects.
At the same time, detectives attached to the VCRU are working to unravel the robbery at the residence of the ADC State Chairman and recover the stolen vehicles and other valuables.
The Edo State Police Command said further developments would be communicated as investigations continue.
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