The Edo State Police Command has announced the reorganisation of the Ekpoma Division as part of an ongoing security assessment and strategic repositioning aimed at strengthening public safety in the area.
The Commissioner of Police, Edo State Command, Monday Agbonika, approved the posting of CSP Tomofe Nwabueze as the new Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of Ekpoma, with immediate effect.
According to the Command, following a report of a suspected kidnapping along Old INEC Road, Ekpoma, received at about noon on January 12, 2026, the newly posted DPO swiftly mobilised operational resources to track the incident. Technical intelligence and field investigations led to the arrest of the suspect, which later revealed a case of self-kidnapping.
The suspect, identified as 18-year-old Obehi Odine, was arrested for allegedly staging her own kidnapping and demanding a ransom of ₦10 million.
Police said she has confessed to fabricating the incident in an attempt to extort money.
In a related operation in Ubiaja, the Command recorded another major breakthrough as a bush-combing operation yielded the arrest of 11 male suspects believed to be members of an organised kidnapping syndicate.
The operation was personally led by the Divisional Police Officer, Ubiaja, in collaboration with the Nigerian Military and the Edo State Security Corps (ESSC).
Police said the suspects were arrested after a concealed forest enclave, identified through drone-assisted intelligence and aerial surveillance around Akwocha Camp and adjoining forest corridors, was raided. The location was suspected to be a kidnapping and logistics base.
Exhibits recovered during the operation included 24 Dane guns, 17 cutlasses, three battle axes, gun powder, torchlights, mobile phones, solar panels, assorted charms, one Daylong motorcycle and ₦209,700 in cash, among other items.
The Commissioner of Police warned members of the public against making false kidnapping reports and engaging in deceptive acts, noting that such actions waste critical security resources, divert attention from genuine emergencies, create unnecessary panic and undermine public confidence. He stressed that anyone found culpable would be prosecuted in accordance with the law.
CP Agbonika also reaffirmed the Command’s commitment to technology-driven policing, aggressive forest domination and intelligence-led operations to dismantle criminal networks across Edo State.
The Command urged members of the public to continue supporting the Police with timely and credible information through its emergency and complaints lines.
This was contained in a statement signed by the Police Public Relations Officer, Edo State Command, ASP Eno Ikoedem, and dated January 13, 2026.
