70 Arrested as NSCDC, Army Clears Criminal Hideouts in Okpella, Edo State

The Commandant General’s Special Intelligence Squad (CG’s SIS) of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has successfully dislodged criminal hideouts, rescued kidnapped victims, and arrested 70 suspects during an intensive clearance operation at Okpella, in Etsako East Local Government Area of Edo State.

According to a statement by CSC Afolabi Babawale, National Public Relations Officer, NSCDC Headquarters, Abuja, the operation was launched following the directive of the Commandant General, Prof. Ahmed Abubakar Audi, mni, OFR, to neutralize criminal networks responsible for kidnappings, rape, and other violent crimes in the area.

Speaking on the operation, the Commandant of the CG’s SIS, Commandant AS Dandaura, JP, disclosed that the mission was part of the Corps’ sustained onslaught against criminals who disguise as illegal miners and charcoal vendors while carrying out kidnappings in the Okpella axis.

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He noted that the clearance operation was conducted in collaboration with the Nigerian Army and officials of BUA International Cement Company, led by its General Manager, Mr. Richard Gidado, as part of the response to the recent killing of eight security personnel attached to the company.

During the raid, operatives dismantled several hideouts used for detaining kidnapped victims, rescuing a number of hostages, including Mrs. Agbe Martha, who had been held captive for over seven days. Mrs. Martha recounted how she and her sister-in-law were kidnapped while working on their rice farm in the Ichoke area of the Itsukwi community, and subjected to torture while their abductors demanded a ₦30 million ransom.

The Ogei-Ochi III of Itsukwi Kingdom, His Royal Highness Usman Suleiman, expressed profound gratitude to the NSCDC leadership, commending the pragmatic and result-driven approach of Prof. Audi in restoring peace and hope to the community.

Commandant Dandaura reaffirmed the Corps’ commitment to sustaining the fight against criminal elements, noting that further investigations and prosecutions would follow. He emphasized that the success of the operation underscores the importance of inter-agency collaboration in the quest to safeguard lives and property across the nation.