By Chuks Oyema-Aziken
No fewer than 13 suspected kidnappers and illicit drug peddlers have been arrested by troops of the 4 Brigade of the Nigerian Army during coordinated clearance operations across Edo North Senatorial District of Edo State.
The suspects were apprehended on 4 February 2026 during a joint operation involving the Nigerian Army, Nigerian Air Force, Edo State Police Command, Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), and the Edo State Security Corps, under a mission codenamed Operation IGBO DANU 1.
Eight of the suspects—Jamilu Mohammad (25), Kasim Abu (33), Braimoh Affeez (31), Sulaiman Hamisu (36), Lawan Umaru (25), Bawa Auwal (24), Musa Umaru (40), and Amodu Attai (50)—were arrested in Osara Community, Etsako West Local Government Area, as well as Auchi and Okpella Communities.
Weapons recovered from them include one English-made auto pump-action gun, four live cartridges, and one locally fabricated pistol. Other items seized include a Point-of-Sale (POS) machine, two cutlasses, a Nikon digital camera, two Android phones, a metal hook, five bottles of codeine syrup, two Indian hemp weighing scales, and quantities of substances suspected to be cannabis sativa, tramadol, ice, loud, and colos, as well as the sum of ₦87,550.
In a related operation, troops of 4 Brigade, working with the Edo State Police Command, also raided the Aviele Forest in Etsako West Local Government Area, leading to the arrest of five additional suspected kidnappers.
Those arrested were identified as Isiaka Abubakar (37), Mohammad Abubakar (25), Yusuf Abubakar (24), Mohammed Somu (20), and Isiaka Ibrahim (30). Items recovered include two motorcycles, two Android phones, and a power bank.
Confirming the operations in a statement, the Assistant Director, Army Public Relations, 4 Brigade, Captain Kennedy Anyanwu, said all the suspects and recovered items had been handed over to the Edo State Police Command for further investigation and prosecution.
He quoted the Commander 4 Brigade, Brigadier General Ahmed Balogun, as commending the swift response and effective collaboration among the participating security agencies, while warning that Edo State would be made untenable for terrorists, kidnappers, and other criminal elements.
The Brigade Commander also reaffirmed the Army’s commitment to safeguarding lives and property in the state and expressed appreciation to the General Officer Commanding 2 Division, Nigerian Army, Major General Chinedu Nnebeife, for his strategic guidance and support.
