The police in Edo State have rescued 14 kidnapped marriage guests in the Southsouth state, and are still in search of many other victims, who are with the kidnappers in their den in the forest.

The disclosure was made yesterday in Benin by Edo Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Chidi Nwabuzor, a Superintendent of Police (SP).

He revealed that the innocent victims were seized by hoodlums around 4 p.m. on November 24 this year, along Lagos–Abuja Road, by Ikeran Oke, Ibillo, in Akoko–Ado Local Government Area of Edo state.

Nwabuzor said: “Edo State Police Command, at 1715hrs of on November 24, 2022, through the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) Ibillo Division, received the information that hoodlums, who were operating at the location, under Ibillo Divisional Police Headquarters in Edo State, attacked and kidnapped the passengers of two coaster buses, who were travelling from Benue State to Ilorin, Kwara State for a wedding, but passed through Ibillo in Edo State.

“Immediately, the DPO mobilised patrol team, the army personnel, Edo State Security Network personnel and the local hunters to the bush, which resulted in the rescue of nine of the victims.

“In the early hours of November 25, 2022, five other passengers (victims) were rescued inside the bush, while unspecified passengers are still missing.

“The DPO and the security men are still embarking on aggressive bush combing operations, for possible rescue unhurt of the remaining passengers.”

Edo PPRO also quoted the state’s Commissioner of Police, Mohammed Dankwara, as vowing to stop at nothing to see that all the kidnap victims were quickly rescued and united with their families and loved ones.

Dankwara also gave the DPO a marching order to work with the command’s tactical teams, to ensure that the victims were released unhurt, while he advised the families and loved ones of the unfortunate passengers to remain calm.

Meanwhile, the Edo commissioner of police also assured the public, particularly parents and guardians of the children/wards of Aduwawa Secondary School, Benin, Edo State that there was no cause for alarm, as normalcy had been restored in the school by the police.

The assurance came against the backdrop of the unrest at Aduwawa secondary school on November 24, 2022, which was perpetrated by some students of the school, with preliminary investigation revealing that they were dissatisfied with disciplinary measures being taken by a female teacher in the school against some female students during an English Language class.

Dankwara stated that two female students identified as the prime suspects in the assault on the teacher and the eventual uproar in the school had been detained and efforts to arrest other fleeing suspects were ongoing.

The police commissioner in Edo advised parents and guardians of the fleeing students to make available their children/wards who were involved in the agitation.

Dankwara also directed the DPO, Aduwawa division, to transfer the case file to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), Benin, after a preliminary investigation for further Investigation. (The Nation)

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