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Troops of the Nigerian Army’s 4 Brigade under the 2 Division, in collaboration with the Edo State Security Corps, have neutralised a suspected notorious kidnapper, rescued four abducted victims, and arrested another suspect during separate operations in Edo State.
Captain Kennedy Anyanwu, Assistant Director of Army Public Relations, 4 Brigade Nigerian Army, Benin City, disclosed this in a statement on Wednesday, March 4, 2026.
According to the statement, the operations were carried out under Operation IGBO DANU 1 in Warake Forest, Auchi Local Government Area, and Ujemen in Esan West Local Government Area of the state.
“Troops of 4 Brigade under 2 Division Nigerian Army, in collaboration with the Edo State Security Corps, neutralised a notorious kidnapper, rescued four persons who were kidnapped in Warake Forest, and arrested a suspected kidnapper in separate operations in Edo State,” the statement read.
“Troops, during Operation IGBO DANU 1, working alongside personnel from the Nigerian Army School of Electrical and Mechanical Engineers and local vigilantes, carried out a night operation on March 3, 2026, in Warake Forest, Auchi Local Government Area. The troops responded to gunshots heard in the forest during a night patrol with aggressive pursuit and minimal use of firearms.
“The gallant troops neutralised a notorious kidnapper who had been terrorising Auchi and its environs during the encounter.
“The superior firepower of the troops forced the remaining criminals to abandon their victims and flee into the bush.
“Four victims — Stella Abbas (29), Tina Ododa (19), Razak Rashid (27), and Mutanibi Kalifa (16) — were rescued unhurt and later reunited with their families.
“Items recovered from the neutralised kidnapper include cash amounting to Six Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira (₦650,000), footwear, a power bank, and mobile phones.
“In a separate operation on March 3, 2026, troops, in collaboration with the Edo State Security Corps, raided a house in Ujemen, Esan West Local Government Area, suspected to be a kidnapper’s hideout. A 39-year-old suspect, Omogbegha Solomon, was arrested during the raid.
“During the operation, troops discovered a shrine containing charms and photographs of various individuals in an abandoned room within the compound.
“The shrine was destroyed in situ, and the suspect was handed over to the Nigeria Police Force, Ekpoma Division, for further investigation.”
The Commander of 4 Brigade, Brigadier General Ahmed Balogun, commended the troops for their dexterity and urged them to sustain the aggressive onslaught against criminal elements, in line with the directives of the General Officer Commanding 2 Division, Major General Chinedu Nnebeife.
He also reassured residents of Edo State of the Brigade’s commitment to protecting lives and property in the state.
