Police Arrest Five Suspected Kidnappers Linked to Auchi–Okene–Abuja Highway Attacks

Police have arrested five suspects accused of operating a kidnapping network along the Auchi–Okene–Abuja corridor. The arrests followed an investigation involving Edo State Police Command’s Violent Crime Response Unit and Anti-Kidnapping Unit, with operations reportedly extending through Kogi, Niger, the FCT and Nasarawa. Investigators allege that the suspects studied potential victims’ routines, homes, vehicles and perceived ability to pay ransom. They were also linked to the August 8, 2026 abduction of Mr and Mrs Mohammed Tasiu Imokhe in Jattu and an attack on a New Edo Line vehicle in which the driver was reportedly killed and passengers abducted. Police said weapons recovered from a forest near the Edo–Kogi border included two AK-47 rifles, a pump-action gun, magazines, ammunition and cartridges. Claims that the suspects have links to ISWAP, bandit groups and other terrorist networks remain subject to further investigation and corroboration. The case highlights the importance of intelligence gathering, technology and inter-state cooperation in dismantling kidnapping networks that exploit forest routes and local knowledge. Investigations are ongoing to identify and arrest other alleged members of the syndicate.

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