Police Foil Kidnapping Attempt On Benin–abraka Road, Rescue Passengers

by Idahosa Musa

Operatives of the Edo State Police Command have foiled a kidnapping attempt along the Benin–Abraka Road and rescued passengers of a commercial bus attacked by suspected kidnappers.

The Command disclosed that the incident occurred on June 21, 2026, at a failed section of the road near the NNPC Pipeline axis, where armed hoodlums reportedly intercepted a bus belonging to Muyi Line Transport Company travelling from Abraka to Benin.

According to the Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Eno Ikoedem, the suspects opened fire on the vehicle and forced the driver to stop after emerging from the bush along the route.

She stated that operatives attached to the Ugo Division swiftly responded to a distress call received at about 6:46 p.m. and mobilised to the scene to confront the criminals.

The police team engaged the kidnappers in a gun duel, forcing them to abandon their operation and flee into the surrounding forest due to the superior firepower and tactical response of the officers.

All passengers aboard the bus were rescued unhurt, except one of them, Mr Isaac Olotu Temitope from Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State, who sustained a pellet injury to his right toe during the attack.

The victim was immediately taken to the Ugo Health Centre for treatment and was later discharged to continue his journey, the police said.

Meanwhile, the Commissioner of Police in Edo State, CP Monday Agbonika, has deployed reinforcement teams from the command headquarters to track down the fleeing suspects, while commending the bravery of the officers involved and assuring residents of the command’s commitment to safeguarding lives and property across the state.