On Sunday, January 9th, 2022, at about 9.11pm operatives of the Edo State Police Command in collaboration with the military acting on credible information that armed hoodlums suspected to be kidnappers came out from the bush at Okwo Ogbemudia farm Benin-Auchi Road and started shooting sporadically on unsuspected vehicles.
On receipt of the information the Divisional Police Officer (DPO), Ehor Division, CSP Benefa Benjamen, immediately mobilized his team of police operatives and the military at Ehor, to the scene where the combined team sighted a Passat GL vehicle with Reg. No. BEN 628 MS discovered to have veered off the road, ran into a palm tree with the unconscious driver (name unknown) who sustained bullet wound on his head and thigh on the steering. One other female passenger identified as Awoma Jerry also had injury on her knee and thigh as the result of the sporadic shooting from the armed hoodlums, both were immediately rushed to a nearby hospital for medical attention.
Further bush combing was carried out along the power line axis and at about 11.08pm the armed hoodlums were sighted crossing with some victims. On sighting the team of operatives the hoodlums engage them in gun duel, but the superior fire power of the team of operatives over powered them which led to the rescue of seven ( five male and two female) victims unhurt. Those rescued were Lucky Ebuade, Flora Ebuade, ASP Joseph Okoh, Tina Okiti, Adamu Danusa, Hassan Mohammed and Tolba Masamavi, who have since been profiled and asked to continue on their journey.
During the process one of the kidnappers was gun down. One locally made gun and one cartridge was recovered from him while others escaped with various degree of bullet wound.
Intensive bush combing is on with the aim of arresting other fleeing gang members.
