Edo State Police Command said it recorded huge gains in the outgoing year in its quest to rid the state of criminal elements.
It said it rescued 377 victims from kidnappers’ dens and arrested 821 criminal suspects as part of its aggressive, intelligence-led campaign.
Edo Commissioner of Police, Monday Agbonika, who disclosed this on Monday in Benin City at an end of year security review, said 171 suspected kidnappers were arrested in the year under review.
Agbonika listed other suspects arrested to include 117 murder suspects, 62 linked to rape and sexual offences, 239 cultism suspects, and 157 others for various offences.
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The Edo CP said the Command recovered 11 stolen vehicles, 188 arms of different calibres, and 422 rounds of ammunition.
He said helicopters and drones from the Police Air Wing were deployed to Edo North for a successful clearance operation.
Agbonika urged the public to remain vigilant, law-abiding, and cooperative with security agencies, stressing that security remained a collective responsibility.
On the reported disappearance of corpses from some private morgues in the state, the Edo CP described the acts as criminal, inhuman, and a gross violation of the dignity of the deceased and the emotions of bereaved families.
He said anyone found culpable would face the full weight of the law and advised families to patronise government-owned mortuaries where proper oversight is guaranteed.
