Francis Ogbuagu, Benin City 
The Edo State Police Command yesterday said it has killed one suspected kidnapper who intercepted a burial train with a corpse and rescued 15 victims in two different operations in the state.
The Police Public Relation Officer of the Command, SP Bello Kontongs in a press statement he signed and made available to journalists in Benin City said, “the operatives of the Edo State Police Command in collaboration with local vigilance and hunters acting on information that suspected kidnappers have accosted a Toyota Hiace Bus with Reg. No. AB 14 TR driven by one Abdullahi Adamu ‘M’ kidnapped 10 passengers along Igueben Opoji road while conveying corpse from Taraba State to Iruekpen in Edo State for burial.
“The Divisional Police Officer (DPO), Ekpoma Division, CSP Bukoye Oyegbemi on receipt of the information immediately swung into action mobilised team of police operatives, local vigilante and hunters to the scene and embarked on bush combing operation during which six victims were rescued unhurt, efforts is still ongoing to rescue the remaining four victims and further arrest the suspected kidnappers.”
He also stated that the Command on January 9, 2022, in collaboration with the military acting on credible information that armed hoodlums suspected to be kidnappers came out from the bush at Okwo Ogbemudia farm Benin-Auchi Road and started shooting sporadically on unsuspected vehicles.
And that the DPO, Ehor Division, CSP, Benefa Benjamin in receipt of the information immediately mobilised his team of police operative and the military at Ehor, to the scene where the combined team of operatives sighted a Passat GL vehicle with Reg. No. BEN 628 MS discovered to have veered off the road and ran into a palm tree with the driver name unknown on the steering unconscious whom sustained bullet wound on his head and thigh and one other female passenger identified as Awoma Jerry ‘F’ age, 28yrs who also had injury on her knee and thigh as the result of the sporadic shooting from the armed hoodlums, both were immediately rushed to a nearby hospital for medical attention.
According to him, “Further bush combing was carried out along the power line axis and at about 2308hrs the armed hoodlums were sighted crossing with some victims, on sighting the team of operatives the hoodlums engage them in gun duel, but the superior fire power of the team of operatives over powered them which led to the rescue of seven (five male and two female) victims unhurt