By Bukola Kuteyi
Edo State Commissioner of Police, Monday Agbonika, has confirmed in a press briefing that 95 suspected cultists have been arrested and charged to court in the state.
Agbonika said 25 firearms, which include two AK-47 rifles, 130 rounds of 7.62mm ammunition, 135 live cartridges, and four stolen vehicles, were recovered from the arrested culprits.
Other items recovered include three English pistols, one Beretta pistol, a Lar Mark rifle, four single-barrel guns, cash, and an iPhone 16 plus.
The Edo CP also disclosed that the team was able to rescue seven kidnap victims, while some of the suspected kidnappers confessed to a new mode of operation, which is to use their victims as shields when they are being chased by operatives.
“We are working on introducing other technological assistance to help track these kidnappers, as this will make it easy to locate them without hurting the victims.
“Whenever these kidnappers take hostages and we chase them, when we come across them, it is always difficult to fire at them because they use the hostages as human shields.” Agbonika.
However, the commissioner pledged to sustain engagement with communities, combing operations across area commands and divisions, and high visibility policing to stem criminality in the state.