Police rescue abducted traditional worshippers in Edo

The Edo State Police Command on Tuesday said it rescued three kidnapped victims and arrested a female murder suspect in Benin, the state capital.

According to a statement by the Deputy Public Relations Officer of the command, ASP Jennifer Iwegbu, the rescued victims were traditional worshippers who were abducted on July 25, 2022, while the murder suspect, Favour Oyhou, was arrested in Benin. She fled Auchi after she was said to have stabbed her lover, Paul Handsome.

The statement read partly, “The Edo State Police Command in its renewed fight to stem the increasing rise in violent crimes in the state, especially kidnapping, on July 25, 2022, at about 1 pm, rescued three kidnapped traditional worshippers.

“The Command, through its Divisional Headquarters at Ugo, received a complaint that armed men, suspected to be kidnappers accosted and whisked into the bush three traditional worshippers who had gone to a river along the Benin-Abraka Road for prayers.

“Upon receipt of the information, the Divisional Police Officer, Ugo, immediately mobilised his team to the scene in hot pursuit of the hoodlums and possible rescue of the victims. The hoodlums sensing the policemen were on their trail, were forced to abandon their victims and fled into the bush.

“The victims have since been reunited with their families, while intense bush combing is still ongoing to neutralise or arrest the hoodlums,” the statement added.

On the murder suspect, the Deputy PPRO said, “Sequel to the incident of July 23, 2022, at about 7:30 pm in Auchi, Edo State, where one Paul Handsome (25 years) was reported to have been stabbed to death by his girlfriend, one Favour Oyhou, who went into hiding, the Commissioner of Police, CP Abutu Yaro, immediately ordered the Area Commander and Divisional Police Officer in charge of Auchi to smoke out the fleeing girl unhurt.

“Following the credible intelligence gathering by men of the Command, the suspect was arrested in Benin on July 25, 2022 at about 10:45pm.

“Discreet investigation has commenced and the suspect is making useful information and will be charged to court soon,” the statement added.