A family of nine, including a nursing mother and an infant, were ambushed and abducted on Monday afternoon along the Eko-Abeku-Iyowa road in Edo State, marking the latest surge in kidnapping incidents within the region.
The victims were returning from school at approximately 5:00 PM near the Evboneka community on the Benin-Akure highway when unknown gunmen intercepted their vehicle.
According to the head of the family, Festus Bamidele, the group consisted of his children, a nursing mother, her baby, his younger sister, and a sister-in-law.
The ordeal began to unfold when the nursing mother and her infant were released by the captors following a heavy downpour on the evening of the attack. Upon their return home, the family was alerted to the abduction of the remaining seven members.
Bamidele stated that the kidnappers have since contacted the family to demand a ransom of ₦260 million. While five members of the group have returned or been rescued, four others, ranging in age from 11 to 26 years, remain in the custody of the gunmen.
Security forces managed to recover several victims during the initial response. Three young children from pre-KG classes were rescued by a combined team of local vigilantes and police operatives within the Evboneka community.
The Edo State Police Command has confirmed the confrontation. Police Spokesperson ASP Eno Ikoedem reported that officers from the Ekiadolor Division engaged the kidnappers in a gun duel, successfully rescuing five of the victims unhurt while the gunmen fled with the remaining four.
The command, in collaboration with hunters and vigilantes, has launched an intensive bush combing exercise for the kidnappers. ASP Ikoedem noted that efforts are ongoing to rescue the remaining victims.
The incident underscores a troubling trend of persistent kidnappings in the state, leaving local communities on high alert as security agencies face mounting pressure to curb the violence.
