Edo: Police arrest 821 suspected criminals, rescue 377 kidnap victims in 2025
The Edo State Police Command says it arrested 821 suspects for various criminal offences in 2025.
DAILY POST reports that the Commissioner of Police, Monday Agbonika, disclosed this at a press briefing while reeling out the scorecard of the Command in the outgoing year.
Agbonika added that in the period under review a total of 377 kidnap victims were rescued by operatives of the Command.
He said 39 were arrested for armed robbery, 171 for kidnapping, 117 for murdered, 62 for rape/sexual, 239 for cultism, 36 unlawful possession of firearms and 157 for other offences
According to him, 11 stolen vehicles, 188 arms of different calibres and 422 assorted ammunition were recovered in the period under review.
The commissioner, however, disclosed that in line with the proactive and intelligence-driven policing strategy for the Yuletide season, the Command significantly strengthened security across the state through intensified visibility policing, strategic patrols, targeted stop-and-search operations, intelligence-led deployments, and sustained community engagement.
According to him, the measures were designed to deter criminal activities, inspire public confidence, and guarantee the safety of residents and visitors throughout the festive period.
The CP added that a central pillar of the efforts was the clearance operation conducted in Edo North, which he personally led, in fulfilment of the Command’s commitment to deny criminal elements access to forests and other ungoverned spaces.
“This operation was carried out with the approval and strategic support of the InspectorGeneral of Police, IGP Kayode Egbetokun who graciously authorized the deployment of Nigeria Police helicopter and drones from the Police Air Wing. I also acknowledge the support of his excellency, Senator Monday Okpebholo who provided the necessary logistics for the operation.
“The operation featured the coordinated deployment of ground troops alongside aerial assets, ensuring comprehensive operational coverage.
“The clearance operation which spanned from Saturday, 14th December to Saturday, 20th December, 2025 will be sustained. It was executed through a robust inter-agency collaboration involving the Nigerian Army Mechanized 4 Brigade, NAF 107 Air Maritime Group, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Forest Guards, local Vigilante groups and hunters.
“This joint approach underscores our collective resolve to confront and neutralize security threats in the state, decisively, the CP said.
Agbonika, however, alerted members of the public against the disturbing trend of disappearance of corpses from some morgues within Edo State.
While noting that such acts are criminal, inhuman, callous and a gross violation of the sensitivity of the bereaved, he assured the public that anyone found culpable would face the full weight of the law.
He advised families and those in need of mortuary services to patronize government-owned mortuaries where proper oversight and accountability are guaranteed.
Edo: Police arrest 821 suspected criminals, rescue 377 kidnap victims in 2025