Tension has spiked in Akoko-Edo Local Government Area of Edo State after suspected gunmen abducted five people, including a serving police inspector, in two separate attacks on February 8, 2026, heightening fears in a community already on edge from rising insecurity.
The first incident unfolded at the Makeke Community Health Centre, near Ososo, where armed men stormed the facility and seized Miss Tope Oriloye, a female secondary school student, and Samuel Ilesanmi as he accompanied his sick son for medical attention.
In a separate operation later that day, the kidnappers targeted the residence of Police Inspector Segun Obanowa, an indigene of Uma/Imoga community in the area, abducting him alongside his wife and daughter in Auchi, the Etsako West Local Government headquarters.
According to community leaders, the kidnappers released the inspector’s wife shortly after the abduction, reportedly to enable her to source funds to negotiate the release of her husband and child, a tactic that has become common in recent kidnappings.
Local sources confirmed that the families of Oriloye and Ilesanmi were contacted by the abductors, who demanded a ₦100 million ransom for their release, adding to the intense anxiety across the local government area.
Community representatives, including Bode Ekundayo, the National Coordinator of the Movement for the Advancement of Akoko Edo People, said the kidnappings reflected a troubling pattern of insecurity in the region, as local hunters and vigilantes were mobilised immediately after the attacks to comb nearby forests in search of the victims.
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Despite the mobilization, initial search efforts yielded no sign of the abducted victims, underscoring the brazen nature of the kidnappers’ operations and the challenges facing community efforts to secure safe releases.
The Edo State Police Command has confirmed the Makeke abduction, with spokesperson ASP Eno Ikoedem stating that some suspects have been arrested and that investigations are ongoing to rescue the victims and bring the perpetrators to justice.
The spate of kidnappings has prompted local authorities and traditional leaders to enforce a night curfew from 9:00 pm to 6:00 am in parts of Akoko-Edo in a bid to curb further attacks, though residents remain anxious about safety.
The latest incidents come against a backdrop of other recent kidnappings and ransom demands in Edo State, including attacks along major roads and in nearby communities, reflecting broader challenges with security and the protection of civilians in the region.
Residents have appealed to state authorities and security agencies for urgent and sustained intervention to end what many describe as a growing siege by kidnappers and to ensure the safe return of those abducted.
