Benin, Edo – In a swift and coordinated strike against rising insecurity in rural Edo, operatives of the Edo State Police Command have rescued seven individuals abducted by suspected kidnappers in the dense Ikeken Forest near Ewohimi, Esan South-East Local Government Area.

The dramatic rescue, hailed as a "major breakthrough" in the state's fight against violent crime, unfolded just over a week after the victims vanished into the underbrush, leaving families in anguish and communities on high alert.

The ordeal began on Saturday, November 1, 2025, when a group of farmers, including 65-year-old William Omozokpia, ventured into the Ikeken Forest for their routine agricultural work.

What should have been an ordinary day turned into a nightmare as armed assailants believed to be members of a notorious kidnapping syndicate operating in the region's forested enclaves ambushed the group.

Omozokpia's son, Enoch Omozokpia, a resident of Ikeken Ewohimi, was the first to raise the alarm at the Ewohimi Divisional Police Station, reporting that his father and six others had been forcibly taken at gunpoint.

Other rescued victims were identified as William Akhabue, Innocent Ebarekor, Rachel Ebarekor, Efuah Ebarekor, Winner Ebarekor, and Lucky Igiese (popularly known as Bulala).

Acting on Enoch's frantic report, the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of Ewohimi mobilized a crack team without delay. What followed was a high-stakes joint operation involving police tactical units, personnel from the Nigerian Army, and local vigilante groups.

Under the cover of early morning darkness on November 8, the forces stormed the kidnappers' makeshift camp deep in the forest, launching an intense bush-combing exercise that echoed with gunfire and urgent commands.

According the Edo police command’s Deputy Public Relations Officer, Emem Ikoedem, the victims were freed following the joint operation.

She said, “Operatives of the command have successfully rescued seven kidnapped victims in Ewohimi, Esan South-East Local Government Area of the state.”

Eyewitness accounts from the rescued victims describe a tense escape: bound and blindfolded for days, they were herded through the labyrinthine forest while their captors demanded hefty ransoms via smuggled phone calls.

The sudden arrival of security forces marked by flares and shouts sent the kidnappers scrambling, leaving behind weapons, provisions, and even a rudimentary communication setup.

The seven victims, dehydrated and exhausted but otherwise unharmed, were airlifted to a nearby medical facility for checks and reunions with their loved ones.

This rescue comes amid a surge in kidnapping incidents across Edo's agrarian belts, where expansive forests provide cover for criminal gangs.