RismadarVoice Reporters
January 13, 2026
Edo State Police Command has arrested an 18-year-old woman, Obehi Odine, for allegedly staging her own kidnapping and demanding a ransom of ₦10 million, while 11 other suspects were arrested in a separate operation linked to an organised kidnapping syndicate.
The Command’s Public Relations Officer, SP Eno Ikoedem, disclosed this in a statement issued on Tuesday, noting that several dangerous weapons and other items were recovered during the operations.
According to the statement, Odine confessed to fabricating her abduction in order to extort money.
“A suspect, one Obehi Odine ‘F’, aged 18, was arrested for staging her own kidnap and demanding a ransom of ₦10 million. She confessed to the crime, admitting that the incident was deliberately fabricated to extort money,” the statement said.
In a related development, the Police recorded another breakthrough in Ubiaja, where a coordinated bush-combing operation led to the arrest of 11 male suspects believed to be members of a kidnapping syndicate.
The operation was led by the Divisional Police Officer of Ubiaja, in collaboration with the Nigerian Military and the Edo State Security Corps (ESSC).
A concealed forest camp identified through drone-assisted intelligence was stormed around Akwocha Camp and adjoining forest corridors.
Items recovered from the suspected hideout include 24 dane guns, 17 cutlasses, three battle axes, gunpowder, torchlights, mobile phones, solar panels, assorted charms, one motorcycle, and ₦209,700 in cash, among other exhibits.
Meanwhile, the Commissioner of Police, Monday Agbonika, warned members of the public against making false kidnapping reports or engaging in deceptive acts, noting that such actions waste security resources, divert attention from genuine emergencies, create panic, and erode public confidence.
He reaffirmed the Command’s commitment to technology-driven policing, aggressive forest domination, and intelligence-led operations aimed at dismantling criminal networks across Edo State, while urging residents to support the Police with timely and credible information.
In a separate incident, gunmen suspected to be kidnappers have reportedly demanded ₦100 million ransom for the release of eight indigenes of Imoga, who were abducted on Friday night.
The Okpahi of Imoga Kingdom, Oba Patrick Obajoye, disclosed this on Monday during a telephone interview.
He said the victims were abducted at Star Boy Hotel along the Imoga–Ibillo Road in Edo North.
According to the monarch, the victims had travelled to Ibillo for a function and decided to lodge overnight at the hotel.
He added that the kidnappers arrived in army uniforms, carrying drinks, and pretended to be waiting for someone before launching the attack.
Police authorities have not yet disclosed further details on the ongoing investigation into the Imoga abduction.
