Operatives of the Edo State Police Command have rescued eight persons, including a nursing mother and her infant, just hours after gunmen abducted seven travellers along the Benin-Auchi Expressway.
The victims were seized on Sunday evening near the Ehor axis of the highway, a notorious hotspot for kidnappings, when the assailants blocked the road, fired shots into the air, and forced passengers from commercial vehicles into the surrounding bush.
According to police spokesperson SP Moses Yamu, the rescue operation was launched immediately after distress calls from stranded motorists.
“Our anti-kidnapping squad, working on credible intelligence, stormed the kidnappers’ hideout in the forest and engaged them in a fierce gun battle,” Yamu said in a statement on Monday.
The freed victims, six adults and two children were found in a makeshift camp deep in the forest.
One of the rescued, a 28-year-old trader identified as Blessing Osagie, recounted the ordeal: “They took our phones, money, and threatened to kill us if ransom wasn’t paid. We thank God and the police for coming on time.”
The seven initial abductees, who were travelling in two separate buses, included a family of four returning from Lagos and three traders heading to Kano.
The kidnappers had demanded N10 million per person, according to sources close to the families.While the police confirmed the rescue of eight individuals, they clarified that one additional victim, a local farmer was also freed during the operation, bringing the total to eight.
No ransom was paid, and two suspects were arrested with locally made firearms recovered.
Commissioner of Police Funsho Adegboye commended the swift response and vowed intensified patrols along the expressway.
“We will not rest until all criminal elements are flushed out. Motorists are advised to travel in convoys and report suspicious activities,” he said.
The incident has heightened fears among commuters, with the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Edo State condemning the attack and urging the state government to deploy more security assets to the corridor.
Governor Monday Okpebholo, has pledged to prioritize security, promising collaboration with federal forces to curb highway abductions.
The Benin-Auchi road remains one of Nigeria’s most dangerous routes, with over 50 reported kidnappings in the past year alone, according to rights group data.
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