Edo State’s renewed security drive has recorded another victory as the Special Security Squad, codenamed Operation Flush Out Cultists and Kidnappers, dismantled five suspected kidnapper camps in Ekeke Erah Forest, Owan East Local Government Area of Edo North.
The joint operation, led by the Governor’s Principal Security Officer (PSO) with the support of the Nigerian Army, vigilante groups, and other security agencies, witnessed operatives trek nearly five kilometers into the dense forest between Afuze and Ora.
According to squad member Eribo Ewanta, clear signs revealed the camps were still active.
“We found fire still burning and a pot of food left behind. The kidnappers fled just before we arrived,” he said.
Chief Press Secretary to Governor Owaen Fred Itua in a statement on. Saturday quoted him to have stated that the mission escalated into a fierce gun battle at a riverbank as armed suspects, believed to have been alerted to the security incursion, attempted to escape. Although they retreated deeper into the forest, the camps were destroyed. Evidence of cattle grazing in the area further heightened suspicion of links to armed herdsmen.
“We exchanged heavy gunfire with them. They escaped, but we are on their trail. Their camps are gone. Edo will never again be a haven for criminals,” Ewanta declared.
He stressed that the raid was only the beginning of a sustained offensive to rid the state of violent elements.
“The Governor’s directive is clear: Edo must be free of kidnappers and cultists. We will pursue them without rest until they are caught,” he added.
Ewanta commended Governor Monday Okpebholo for his decisive security push, noting that coordinated strategies are restoring public confidence and sending a strong message to criminal gangs across the state.