Police Exhume Bodies Of Kidnap Victims Killed After N11m Ransom Payment

Operatives of the Edo State Police Command have exhumed the bodies of two kidnap victims allegedly killed by their abductors in Isiukhu Community, Ovia North-East Local Government Area of Edo State.

It was gathered that one of the victims, 66-year-old Mrs Favour Nosakhare, was killed despite the family reportedly paying N11 million ransom to secure her release.

The Command’s Public Relations Officer, ASP Eno Ikoedem, confirmed this in a statement released on Wednesday.

According to her, the exhumation followed the arrest of a 23-year-old suspect, Musa Haruna, who is believed to be part of a kidnapping and armed robbery syndicate operating in the area.

She also gave the names of the other victims as Mrs Emmanuel Annabel Osasere, 28, and Miss Rejoice Otikpere, 26, a domestic aide.

The victims were abducted on May 9, 2026, when armed men invaded their residence.

The police spokesperson said, “Days after the abduction, the kidnappers contacted members of the victims’ family through a video call during which the women were seen being brutally flogged and tortured while their captors demanded ransom for their release.”

She added that the development triggered a strong response from the police, leading to intensive rescue operations involving tactical teams, intelligence gathering, and drone surveillance across forests and suspected hideouts in Ovia North-East and adjoining areas.

On May 19, 2026, operatives reportedly located the gang along the powerline inside a forest, where a gun duel broke out. The suspects engaged the police in a fierce gun battle but were overwhelmed. However, they escaped with gunshot injuries, while a blood-soaked jacket and expended AK-47 ammunition were recovered from the scene.

“The painstaking investigation subsequently led to the arrest of Musa Haruna, male, 23 years, who is a member of the kidnapping syndicate notorious for kidnapping and armed robbery activities along the Benin–Lagos Road and Old Benin–Akure Road corridors,” the police spokesperson said.

She further stated that during interrogation, the suspect confessed to the crime and led operatives to a thick forest in Ogwa Community, where two decomposing bodies were recovered on June 2, 2026.

She said one of the bodies was identified by the family as Mrs Favour Nosakhare.

The police added that investigations are ongoing to arrest other members of the syndicate still at large, noting that tactical and intelligence-driven operations have been intensified.

The spokesperson assured that the Command is confident that the remaining suspects will be brought to justice soon.

Speaking in an interview, the daughter of the deceased said the family paid N11 million ransom and provided other items demanded by the abductors before her mother was killed.

Speaking on his involvement, Musa Haruna, who identified himself as a cattle herder, confessed that the gang operates along the Benin–Lagos and Benin–Akure expressways.

Haruna alleged that the seven-member syndicate was responsible for a series of kidnapping operations in the area.

He claimed that he was recruited into the criminal network by a gang member known simply as “Doctor”.