Task Force operatives of Edo State Government, on Friday, destroyed a major hideout used by kidnappers in Esan North-East Local Government Area, Edo Central Senatorial District in its continued effort to curb kidnapping in the state.

The Task Force, during the operation, cleared abandoned structures and thick bushes along the Uzea-Itakpe railway corridor being used by kidnappers.

The exercise was led by the Task Force against Kidnapping, aimed to eliminate criminal hideouts and improve visibility for enhanced security surveillance.

Special Adviser to the Governor on Security, Mr. Akhere Paul described the area as a notorious transit point for kidnappers operating along the railway axis, Esan forests, and parts of Etsako West. He explained that criminals used the abandoned structures as temporary holding camps for their victims before relocating them.

He said, “If they kidnap people here, they bring them to this hideout, rest, and then move them to other locations, including Itakpe in Kogi State and Ama Community in Etsako West.

This area has been a hotspot for kidnappings, affecting both the wealthy and poor, including farmers who use this route. As a government, we will not rest until kidnapping is eradicated in Edo State.”

The Commander of the Task Force, SP Michael Anetor, emphasized that intelligence reports and recent arrests informed the demolition exercise.

“The DPO covering this area and the local government authorities have investigated, and our findings confirm that this location is a strategic point for kidnappers. They ambush victims, and if moving them immediately is not feasible, they hold them here before proceeding. These abandoned houses and dense trees serve as their operational base,” Anetor explained.

He further assured residents that security agencies would sustain their crackdown on criminal elements to restore safety in the area.

Meanwhile, some residents who preferred to remain anonymous confirmed that the abandoned structures and overgrown vegetation had long served as hideouts for criminals, allowing them to monitor potential victims before launching attacks.

A high-speed auto crash involving a commercial bus has claimed multiple lives along the Abuja-Makurdi Highway.

The commercial bus belongs to Flight Transport Company.

The accident occurred on Thursday, leaving several dead and many others injured.

DAILY POST sighted a video of the incident showing the lifeless bodies of some passengers sprawled across the road as bystanders wailed in distress.

Many of the victims, including men and women, lay motionless on the road.

A witness in the video could be heard lamenting about the reckless speed of the bus driver before the tragic accident occurred.

“When this driver overtook us, I was complaining about his speed. This Flight Bus, I was complaining. Just look at it. I was complaining about the speed of this very driver,” the narrator in the video said.

The crash has sparked fresh outrage among road users and concerned citizens, with many taking to social media to condemn the continuous recklessness of some bus drivers.

Nine days after he was kidnapped, the Catholic Priest of St. Peter’s Catholic Church, Ivukwa, in the Etsako East Local Government Area of Edo State, Rev. Fr. Peter Ekweli, has been released by his abductors.

But the fate of the seminarian who was abducted with him, Peter Andrew, remained unknown.

A viral video on Thursday showed a kidnap victim, surrounded by uniformed men believed to be vigilantes, claiming that he was kidnapped and put in the same location with the priest and seminarian.

The victim said they were all forced to close their eyes, and in the process, they heard a gunshot.

Then, they were told to open their eyes, and they saw the seminarian battling for his life before he died.

He said they trekked to a place in Edo Central from where he escaped.

When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer, Moses Yamu, claimed that the priest had been rescued by the police and that the police would soon come up with an official statement.

According to a source, the Catholic Church will also issue a statement on Friday about the priest’s release.