The first incident involved 40-year-old Patience Omonete and her three children, aged 14, 12 and 10, who were taken from Onomi Farm in Okpella on September 3, 2026. ASP Eno Ikoedem, the Public Relations Officer of the Edo State Police Command, said the Divisional Police Officer in Okpella led a joint response that included state security corps personnel and local hunters into the nearby forest, forcing the kidnappers to abandon their captives. "The woman and her three children were subsequently rescued unhurt and reunited with their family," she said.
In a separate case in Iruekpen, Esan West, 49-year-old Rita Emma was seized alongside her husband. A combined force of police, the Police Mobile Force 82 Squadron, the Nigerian Army, the Edo State Security Corps and vigilantes mounted a search that recovered Emma from the forest. "The victim was rescued almost unconscious in the forest and was rushed to the hospital for medical attention," Ikoedem said. The operation was recorded on 04/09/2026 at about 0530hrs, police added.
A 32-year-old man, Alhassan Adamu, was arrested in connection with the Iruekpen incident and has been transferred to the Anti-Kidnapping Unit for further inquiry. Police said efforts continue to locate and free the remaining abducted husband and to identify other members of the gang.
The command framed the two recoveries as the result of coordinated ground operations and ongoing intelligence-led work. Authorities said the rescued civilians have been returned to their families and that investigations remain active to bring other suspects to justice and secure the outstanding victim.
