The Edo State Police Command has arrested 23-year-old Musa Haruna, a suspected member of a kidnapping and armed robbery syndicate, following a gun duel in a forest along the powerline corridor in Ovia North-East Local Government Area. The arrest is linked to the May 9, 2025 abduction of three women — Mrs. Favour Nosakhare, 66, Mrs. Emmanuel Annabel Osasere, 28, and Miss Rejoice Otikpere, 26 — from their home in Iyowa Community. Armed men had taken the women into a nearby forest, later contacting their family via video call showing them being flogged as ransom was demanded. Police responded with an operation involving the Violent Crime Response Unit (VCRU) and the Police Drone Unit, using aerial surveillance to track criminal hideouts. On May 19, operatives raided a hideout, recovering a blood-soaked jacket and spent AK-47 rounds after suspects fled with gunshot wounds. Haruna was later apprehended with a gunshot injury and, during interrogation, confessed to involvement in the abduction. He led police to a forest in Ogwa Community, where two decomposing bodies were found on June 2. One was identified by family members as Mrs. Favour Nosakhare. The police confirmed the ongoing manhunt for other gang members. Edo State Commissioner of Police Monday Agbonika praised the VCRU and Drone Unit for their role in the breakthrough. He urged residents to provide credible information to aid ongoing investigations, reaffirming the command's commitment to public safety and justice for victims.
Musa Haruna was arrested with a gunshot wound after leading police to the decomposing body of 66-year-old Favour Nosakhare, yet the other two women abducted on May 9 remain unaccounted for. The police celebrated an arrest and partial recovery while offering no explanation for the nine-day gap between the May 19 raid and the June 2 discovery of the bodies. One suspect in custody has not stopped the gang from remaining at large, leaving families of the missing without answers. The operation's success hinges on claims of superior firepower and technological prowess, but the timeline raises questions about investigative urgency.
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