Operatives of the Edo State Police Command have exhumed the bodies of two kidnap victims allegedly killed by their abductors in Isiukhu Community, Ovia North-East Local Government Area of the state.

DAILY POST gathered that one of the victims, 66-year-old Mrs Favour Nosakhare, was killed after allegedly paying N11 million ransom to the abductors.

The Public Relations Officer of the Command, ASP, Eno Ikoedem, disclosed this in a statement made available to newsmen on Wednesday.

Ikoedem said the exhumation of the corpses followed the arrest of a 23-year-old, Musa Haruna, a member of a syndicates notorious for kidnapping and armed robbery.

She gave the names of the other abducted victims as Mrs Emmanuel Annabel Osasere, 28, and Miss Rejoice Otikpere, 26, a domestic aide.

She said the victims were abducted on May 9, 2026, when gunmen invaded their residence.

The police spokesperson said, “Days after the abduction, the kidnappers contacted members of the victims’ family through a video call during which the women were seen being brutally flogged and tortured while their captors demanded ransom for their release.

“The disturbing development heightened concerns among residents and further galvanised the Edo State Police Command into intensive efforts towards the rescue of the victims and the apprehension of the perpetrators.

“Acting on intelligence and leveraging both tactical and technological resources, operatives of the Violent Crime Response Unit (VCRU), in collaboration with the Drone Unit, commenced sustained rescue operations and aerial surveillance across identified forests and criminal hideouts within Ovia North-East and adjoining areas.

“On 19th May, 2026, operatives busted the kidnapping gang along the powerline within the forest. The suspects engaged the police in a fierce gun duel but were overwhelmed by the superior firepower of the operatives. As a result, the hoodlums fled into the bush with gunshot injuries. A blood-soaked jacket and expended AK-47 ammunition were recovered from the scene, while surveillance and tracking operations were further intensified.

“The painstaking investigation subsequently led to the arrest of one Musa Haruna, male, 23 years, with a gunshot injury, who is a member of the kidnapping syndicate notorious for kidnapping and armed robbery activities along the Benin-Lagos Road and Old Benin-Akure Road corridors.”

The Edo Police Command’s image maker added that during interrogation, the suspect confessed to his involvement in the crime and led operatives of the Violent Crime Response Unit into a thick forest at Ogwa Community, Ovia North-East Local Government Area, where two decomposing bodies were recovered on 2nd June, 2026.

She stated that one of the bodies was identified as that of Mrs Favour Nosakhare by the family as one of the victims abducted during the invasion by the gunmen.

She disclosed that investigations are ongoing to apprehend other members of the syndicate who are at large, adding that tactical and intelligence-driven operations have escalated.

The spokesperson assured that the Command is confident that the remaining suspects will be brought to justice soon.

Speaking in an interview, the daughter of the deceased, Miss Annabelle Emmanuel, said the family paid N11 million ransom and provided other items demanded by the abductors before her killing.

Speaking on his involvement, Musa Haruna, who identified himself as a cattle herder, confessed that the gang operates along the Benin–Lagos and Benin–Akure expressways.

Haruna alleged that the seven-member syndicate was responsible for a series of kidnapping operations in the area.

He  claimed that he was recruited into the criminal network by a gang member known simply as “Doctor”.