The raid, which took place on Thursday and Friday, was led by the Governor’s Principal Security Officer in collaboration with the Nigerian Army, local vigilantes, and other agencies. Officers trekked about five kilometres into the forest, between Afuze and Ora, before stumbling on the camps.
According to a member of the squad, Eribo Ewanta, the hideouts were still in use when the team arrived. “We saw fires still burning and even a pot of food left on the fire. That tells you how quickly they fled when they realised we were closing in,” he said.
The operation turned tense at a riverbank when gunmen believed to be kidnappers opened fire on the team. The exchange didn’t last long, but the suspects managed to escape deeper into the forest. Ewanta added that signs of cattle grazing around the area suggest the camps may also have been used by armed herdsmen.
“We’ve destroyed the camps and we’re still on their trail,” he said. “Edo State will not be a safe place for kidnappers or cultists. The Governor has given clear instructions—we must flush them out.”
Residents were assured that this is part of a wider campaign to clear forests and highways of kidnappers and violent gangs. Just last month, police rescued 16 travellers abducted along the Benin–Auchi highway, and earlier in the year, 18 suspects were arrested near an army checkpoint in the state.
Governor Monday Okpebholo, who launched the Edo State Special Security Squad (codenamed Operation Flush Out Cultists and Kidnappers) in 2024, has made security a top priority. Since its creation, the squad has raided criminal hideouts, arrested suspects, demolished buildings linked to gangs, and targeted cult leaders to weaken their networks.
Kidnapping and cult-related violence remain serious challenges across Edo and neighbouring states, but authorities say the latest operation is a clear signal that the state is pushing back.
