Gunmen suspected to be kidnappers have killed a 300-level student of Ambrose Alli University (AAU), Ekpoma, and abducted five others, including a palace secretary and three children, in Esan West Local Government Area of Edo State.
The incidents occurred on Friday, July 10, 2026, and Sunday, July 12, 2026, in Idoa and Ekpoma communities, respectively.
The student, whose identity has yet to be confirmed, was abducted alongside a woman on Sunday night when the gunmen invaded his residence.
According to a Facebook post by the Esan Political Assembly, the abductors later killed the student, while details about the whereabouts of the woman remained unclear.
In the Idoa incident, the gunmen abducted the secretary to the community’s palace alongside three children.
A source, who said the palace secretary is his brother, disclosed that the abductors have demanded a ransom of N30 million for all the victims.
The source added that the kidnappers threatened to kill the victims if the ransom was not paid by the end of July 13.
“My brother was kidnapped on Friday morning in Idoa community, Esan West Local Government Area. He is the secretary of the Idoa palace, and they are demanding N30 million,” the source said.
“He was kidnapped alongside some children who were with him. His vehicle broke down on his way to the farm, and he left it there.
“The next day, he returned with tools and other items to repair the vehicle. While he was fixing it, gunmen emerged from the bush, surrounded them, and took them away.
“They have contacted us, demanding N30 million ransom, and threatened that if we do not provide the money by the end of today, they will kill them.
“The children are his neighbours’ children. They followed him to the location where he wanted to repair his vehicle to assist him, and he planned to take them back home after the repairs because they live nearby.”
