Police rescue PDP chairman, 36 other abducted persons in Edo

Police operatives in Edo have rescued 37 kidnapped persons, including the Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Esan West Local Government Area of the state, in series of daring operations across the state.

The state’s Commissioner of Police, Monday Agbonika, disclosed this on Wednesday in Benin City, during a press briefing to showcase his achievements within 30 days of assumption of office.

He said the victims were rescued without the payment of ransom but through coordinated intelligence-led operations.

Agbonika said that the PDP chairman, abducted on April 15 while working on his farm in Emu Forest, was rescued on May 7 after days of intense pursuit by the police and allied security agencies.

The CP said: ”These 37 rescues are a direct result of collaborative bush-combing operations involving the military, Air Force, civil defense, local hunters, and vigilantes.”

READ ALSO: Gunmen kill one at Edo nightclub

“In my first 30 days in office, the command had recovered 25 firearms, including two AK-47 rifles, and arrested 12 suspected kidnappers and 95 robbery suspects.

“Other items recovered, include 165 rounds of live ammunition, a Mercedes-Benz GLK 300, a Toyota Hilux truck, a Toyota Highlander, motorcycles, and N115,000 cash.”

On farmer-herder crisis in parts of the state, Agbonika admitted that the situation was delicate but manageable.

He stressed the need for deliberate efforts to rebuild trust between farmers and pastoralists.

“We are reforming the vigilante structure to ensure that local security outfits operate only within their communities and with proper oversight,” he stated.

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