A sweeping security shake-up in Edo State has produced swift results, as police authorities announced a reorganisation of the Ekpoma Division alongside multiple arrests linked to kidnapping-related activities across the state.
As part of the strategic review, the Commissioner of Police in Edo State, Monday Agbonika, ordered an internal restructuring of the Ekpoma Division and approved the immediate posting of CSP Tomofe Nwabueze as the new Divisional Police Officer.
The move, police officials said, was aimed at strengthening operational efficiency and restoring public confidence in the area.
Shortly after assuming office, the new DPO oversaw the unravelling of a reported kidnapping case along Old INEC Road in Ekpoma.
According to police findings, technical intelligence and on-ground investigations revealed that the incident, initially reported on January 12, was fabricated.
Further investigations led to the arrest of an 18-year-old suspect, Obehi Odine, who reportedly confessed to staging her own abduction in an attempt to extort ₦10 million in ransom.
Police sources said the suspect admitted that no kidnappers were involved and that the report was deliberately engineered to deceive relatives.
Meanwhile, in a separate but related security operation, police in Ubiaja recorded a major breakthrough following a coordinated bush-combing exercise targeting forest corridors suspected to be used by criminal elements.
The operation was led by the Ubiaja Divisional Police Officer, with support from the Nigerian Military and the Edo State Security Corps.
Acting on drone-assisted intelligence, operatives stormed a concealed forest camp around Akwocha, identified as a suspected kidnapping and logistics base.
Consequently, eleven male suspects believed to be part of an organised kidnapping syndicate were arrested during the raid.
Items recovered from the hideout included 24 Dane guns, 17 cutlasses, three battle axes, gunpowder, mobile phones, solar panels, assorted charms, a Daylong motorcycle and ₦209,700 in cash.
Security officials described the recovery as a significant disruption of criminal supply lines in the area.
Reacting to the developments, CP Agbonika warned residents against filing false kidnapping reports, stressing that such actions divert security resources, fuel public panic and undermine trust in law enforcement.
He said anyone found engaging in such deceptive acts would be prosecuted.
The police commissioner further reaffirmed the command’s commitment to technology-driven policing, aggressive forest domination and intelligence-led operations to dismantle criminal networks across Edo State.
Residents were urged to continue supporting security agencies by providing timely and credible information through the Edo State Police Command’s emergency and complaints response channels.