Police Rescue 31 Kidnap Victims in Taraba and Edo States Amid Renewed Crackdown on Criminal Gangs

The Nigeria Police Force has successfully rescued 31 kidnapped victims in two separate operations conducted in Taraba and Edo states, according to a statement released on Friday by the Force Public Relations Officer, ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi.

ACP Adejobi explained that the operations were part of an ongoing, intensified campaign against banditry and kidnapping. In Edo State, on Friday, July 11, 2025, around 7:20 pm, police officers responded promptly to a kidnapping incident along the Fugar-Agenebode road in Etsako East Local Government Area. The ambush, reportedly carried out by suspected kidnappers, claimed two lives and led to the abduction of several individuals. A joint rescue mission involving police operatives and local security groups traced the kidnappers to the Obe Hill area near Ajaokuta. Following a fierce gunfight, the suspects fled with gunshot wounds, leaving 14 victims to be rescued safely.

In a related operation, 17 more victims were freed in Taraba State. On Saturday, July 12, 2025, at approximately 11:45 pm, police in the state responded to a distress call concerning a kidnapping on the Wukari highway, shortly after the Federal University Wukari. Armed assailants had attacked a white Toyota bus carrying passengers from Enugu to Yola. Swift intervention by police and other security personnel forced the kidnappers to abandon the 17 captives unharmed as they fled into the nearby bush.

Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, praised the courage and efficiency of the officers involved in both rescue missions. He reaffirmed the Force’s unwavering resolve to safeguard lives and dismantle criminal elements nationwide through sustained, targeted operations.