Edo Police Nab Kidnapper, Discover Two Decomposing Bodies

According to Ireporter Online, the Edo State Police Command has arrested a 24-year-old suspect, Haruna Musa, believed to be a member of a seven-man kidnapping syndicate operating along the Benin–Lagos and Benin–Akure expressways.

The suspect was apprehended following a fierce gun battle between operatives of the Violent Crime Response Unit (VCRU) and members of the gang inside a forested area. During the operation, the team, led by the commander of the VCRU, CSP Osagie Godspower, also escorted journalists and medical personnel into the forest where two decomposing bodies of victims abducted in Ekiadolor last month were discovered along the Benin–Lagos corridor.

A survivor of the abduction recounted the traumatic experience, revealing that her family, alongside others, were held in the forest after multiple kidnappings that brought the total number of affected families to four. She explained that the victims were forced to move at night through the forest and rest during the day. According to her, ransom payments were made, including a sum of eleven million naira from her family, before some of the victims were eventually released.

She further narrated that despite initial expectations that some captives would be spared due to their ages, the abductors allegedly turned violent, shooting victims during the ordeal, leading to multiple deaths in captivity.

The arrested suspect reportedly confessed to being part of the criminal network, claiming he was recruited after previously working in cattle handling in Ogun State. He admitted that fear of being killed compelled him to join the gang’s activities.

In his words, he described how he was invited by an associate to join what he initially believed was legitimate work, only to later realize it involved kidnapping operations.

Confirming the development, the Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Eno Ikoedem, stated that the breakthrough came on May 19 when VCRU operatives engaged the suspects in a gunfight in the forest, forcing several of them to flee with gunshot wounds. She added that further intelligence-led tracking led to the arrest of Haruna Musa while he was reportedly seeking medical attention for injuries sustained during the encounter.

She noted that the suspect had since confessed and assisted operatives in locating the remains of victims, including the two bodies recently recovered from the forest. The police spokesperson added that efforts were ongoing to track and apprehend the remaining members of the syndicate, expressing confidence that the entire network would soon be dismantled.

Authorities say investigations are continuing as the command intensifies efforts to bring all perpetrators involved to justice.