Edo Police Nab Nigerien Suspect in Ubiaja Kidnapping Sweep
A Nigerien national previously listed among Edo State’s most wanted criminal suspects is now in police custody following a targeted operation in Ubiaja, Esan South East Local Government Area. The arrest of 28-year-old Suleman Harruna marks a significant development in the state government’s intensified campaign against kidnapping networks that have terrorized communities across the region.
The Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Eno Ikoedem, announced in an official statement that operatives from Ubiaja Division executed the arrest on February 17, 2026, at approximately 6:00 pm. The operation relied on technical intelligence gathering, a method increasingly prioritized by the Command under the leadership of Commissioner of Police Monday Agbonika. Harruna, who had established residence in Kaba, Kogi State, was positively identified by members of the local Hausa/Fulani community as an active participant in a notorious kidnapping syndicate operating across state boundaries. Investigators confirmed that Harruna has provided detailed confessions and is currently assisting authorities in mapping the broader network’s structure and operations.
The arrest of Harruna represents one component of a broader enforcement push ordered by Commissioner Agbonika in direct response to escalating reports of abductions throughout Edo State. Kidnapping for ransom has emerged as one of the most pressing security challenges in Nigeria’s South-South geopolitical zone, with criminal gangs exploiting porous borders, dense forests, and inadequate rural policing to target both wealthy individuals and ordinary citizens. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime has documented Nigeria as experiencing among the highest rates of kidnapping globally, with the crime evolving from politically motivated abductions in the Niger Delta during the 2000s to a widespread commercial enterprise affecting all regions of the country.
Three days after Harruna’s capture, on February 20, 2026, at approximately 5:50 pm, joint forces comprising Edo State Police operatives and personnel from the Nigerian Army apprehended a second suspect in the ongoing operation. Ibrahim Kodo, aged 25 and a native of Illushi Community, was detained following collaborative military-police coordination. A previously kidnapped victim positively identified Kodo as one of three armed men involved in a specific abduction incident dated June 2, 2025. This identification suggests that Kodo remained active in criminal operations for at least eight months before his arrest, highlighting the persistence of kidnapping gangs despite law enforcement pressure.
The operational tempo continued six days later when Orsee Iorzaa, 32, of Omi Camp in Illushi, was taken into custody at approximately 9:00 am on February 26, 2026. Surveillance teams deployed through intelligence-led operations tracked and apprehended Iorzaa, who was subsequently identified by a victim as a participant in a five-man armed gang that invaded the victim’s residence on February 21, 2026. The rapid succession of arrests within a nine-day period indicates a coordinated strategic offensive rather than isolated enforcement actions.
All three suspects remain in custody as investigations proceed. Police authorities have indicated that recovery of weapons used in the documented kidnapping incidents constitutes a priority objective, alongside the identification and apprehension of remaining gang members. The involvement of a foreign national in the criminal network raises additional concerns about cross-border criminal collaboration between Nigerian kidnapping syndicates and operatives from neighboring countries. Niger shares a extensive border with Nigeria’s northern states, and security analysts have long warned that instability in the Sahel region facilitates the movement of armed groups and illicit weapons across national boundaries.
The Edo State Police Command’s public acknowledgment of the Ubiaja Division team’s performance reflects a deliberate effort to boost morale within the force and demonstrate accountability to civilian oversight. Commissioner Agbonika’s directive to intensify operations came amid mounting public pressure and media coverage of kidnapping incidents that have disrupted economic activity and social stability in rural communities. The Commissioner has publicly urged residents to maintain cooperation with security agencies through the provision of credible intelligence, recognizing that community engagement remains essential to penetrating the secrecy that protects criminal networks.
Esan South East Local Government Area, where these arrests occurred, covers approximately 1,196 square kilometers and includes numerous riverine and forested areas that provide natural concealment for criminal operations. The region’s economy depends primarily on agriculture, with communities engaged in cassava, yam, and palm oil production. Kidnapping incidents in such areas frequently target farmers, traders, and local government officials who possess limited security protection but sufficient resources to attract ransom demands.
Under Nigerian law, kidnapping carries severe penalties including life imprisonment where death results from the abduction, and substantial prison terms for other categories of the offense. The Administration of Criminal Justice Act and various state-specific anti-kidnapping laws have strengthened prosecutorial tools, though conviction rates remain hampered by witness intimidation, inadequate forensic capacity, and case backlogs in the judicial system. The confessions obtained from Harruna and the victim identifications of Kodo and Iorzaa will prove critical to securing prosecutions if properly documented and presented in court.