Edo State Police Command has rescued nine people abducted in two separate incidents on the Benin–Ore Expressway and in Imeagbai community, Etsako East Local Government Area. Five of the victims were passengers on a GUO Transport Company bus seized on April 18. Police spokesperson Eno Ikoedem stated the victims were rescued alive during coordinated bush-combing operations. The other four victims were held in the Imiegba forest in Agenebode and freed during the same security sweep.
Ikoedem attributed the successful rescue to sustained security pressure and strategic dominance of the area. She confirmed that all nine victims were found alive and are receiving necessary support. Security deployment along the Benin–Lagos Expressway and surrounding communities has been reinforced, according to the command. The police did not disclose details on arrests or recovery of weapons.
The police claim strategic dominance enabled the rescue of nine kidnap victims, yet the Benin-Ore road remained vulnerable enough for armed abductors to seize a bus on April 18. Five GUO passengers were taken in broad daylight on a major highway, exposing gaps in the very security the command now touts. If patrols were so effective, why did they fail to prevent the initial attack? The same road users now deemed protected were left exposed just days earlier.
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