Police kill suspected kidnapper in gun duel

The Edo State Police Command killed one suspected kidnapper in a routine operation on Sunday near Ughiole forest in Etsako West Local Government Area of Edo State.

A statement by the state command’s deputy spokesperson, Jennifer Iwegbu, said efforts were on to arrest fleeing members of the gang.

The statement partly read, “In a routine ambush, the Edo State Police command recorded a victory over kidnappers in the northern senatorial zone of the state.

“Operatives of the Command on 11/09/2022 led by the DPO Agbede while on routine ambush operation along the pipeline axis of Ughiole Forest in Etsako West Local Government Area of Edo State, encountered some hoodlums suspected to be kidnappers emerging from the forest.

“The hoodlums sensing the presence of police operatives engaged them in a gun duel while trying to escape back into the forest. However, one of the kidnappers was fatally injured and later died. Others escaped into the forest with various degrees of gunshot wounds.

“Effort is ongoing to arrest the fleeing gang members as intense bush combing is currently ongoing. Items recovered from the dead kidnapper include; one locally made gun, amulets, charms, and a cash sum of Two hundred and forty thousand naira (N240,000.00).

“The Commissioner of Police, Abutu Yaro, admonished the operatives to rid the state of the vestiges of these undesirables, especially now that the command is intensifying end-of-the-year security cleanup.”