Two alleged members of a kidnapping and armed robbery syndicate led police to a forest where three AK-pattern rifles, magazines and 58 rounds of ammunition were recovered

The Edo State Police Command has arrested Mohammed Hamisu, 22, and Saidu Bebe, 23, over alleged involvement in kidnapping and armed robbery, with operatives recovering three AK-pattern rifles, magazines and 58 rounds of live ammunition from a forest bordering Edo and Delta states.

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The Commissioner of Police, Patrick Daaor, disclosed the arrests and recoveries to journalists in Benin City on Tuesday, August 18, 2026, saying the suspects were allegedly members of a notorious kidnapping and armed robbery syndicate.

Daaor said operatives of the Violent Crime Response Unit arrested the suspects at Okada, in Ovia North East Local Government Area of Edo State, on June 29, following credible intelligence.

The suspects subsequently led investigators to a forest bordering Abudu in Edo State and Obiaruku in Delta State, where three AK-pattern rifles and two magazines were recovered at separate locations.

According to the commissioner, further intelligence obtained from the suspects resulted in another operation at the same forest on August 12.

“On 12 August 2026, the suspects again led operatives to the same forest, resulting in the recovery of 58 rounds of AK-47 live ammunition and an additional magazine,” Daaor said.

The latest recovery brings the number of firearms recovered from the location to three, alongside multiple magazines and dozens of rounds of ammunition.

The police said efforts were continuing to identify and arrest other alleged members of the syndicate and recover additional weapons believed to be connected to its operations.

The development forms part of the Edo command’s broader efforts to disrupt violent criminal networks operating across the state, particularly those involved in kidnapping and armed robbery.

In a separate operation, police also rescued a kidnapped woman, Elizabeth William, who was allegedly held captive after meeting a suspect through TikTok.

Daaor said William, a resident of Uwelu Quarters in Benin City, was rescued alive by operatives of the command’s anti-kidnapping unit at Ogheghe Community, off the Benin-Auchi Road by Egba, Benin City.

Preliminary investigations indicated that the suspect who allegedly abducted her was a member of the Aiye secret cult, according to the police.

The commissioner said William first made contact with the suspect through TikTok, after which they began communicating.

The suspect allegedly invited her to his residence at Ogheghe Community under the guise of a romantic date.

The meeting, however, allegedly turned into a kidnapping incident, with the woman subsequently held captive while her family was contacted and a ransom demand made.

Daaor said the family eventually paid N500,000 for her release before police operatives secured her rescue.

The police did not disclose the identity of the suspect arrested in connection with William’s abduction in the account of the briefing.

The two developments highlight the different approaches increasingly used by criminal networks to target victims, ranging from organised armed groups with access to firearms to alleged kidnappers using social media platforms to establish contact with potential victims.

The police said investigations into both cases were continuing, with efforts focused on identifying wider networks and bringing other suspects to justice.

The command also urged residents to remain vigilant and report suspicious activities to law enforcement agencies, particularly where interactions initiated through social media develop into invitations to unfamiliar locations.

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For the Edo police, the recovery of firearms and ammunition represents a significant disruption to the alleged kidnapping and robbery network, while the rescue of William provides another important outcome in the command’s efforts to tackle abductions across the state.