* Gunmen abducted a nursing mother, family members in Edo State.
* Five victims, including the nursing mother, her infant and 3young children, have been rescued.
* Four others aged 11 to 26 remain in captivity with a N260 million ransom demand.
* Police engaged kidnappers in a shootout, operation continues with vigilantes, hunters to free the remaining hostages.
A family is shattered and a community in fear, as gunmen suspected to be kidnappers ambushed and abducted nine relatives returning home from school along the Eko-Abeku-Iyowa Road in Evboneka community, Edo State.
The attack occurred around 5 p.m on Monday, February 2, 2026, targeting innocent children and family members on a routine journey.
Head of the family Festus Bamidele recounted the horror, explaining how the abductors released the nursing mother and her infant after a heavy downpour that day. The family only realized the full extent of the nightmare when the woman and baby made it back home safely.
Bamidele described the partial rescue that followed, noting that three other children in pre-kindergarten classes were saved through the quick intervention of local vigilantes and police operatives in the community.
However, the joy of those releases is overshadowed by ongoing anguish, as four victims - his own children, a younger sister, and a sister-in-law, aged between 11 and 26, remain held captive.
“The kidnappers have contacted us and are demanding N260 million ransom,” he said.
The Edo State Police Command has confirmed the abduction and reported active efforts to resolve it.
Spokesperson Eno Ikoedem told PUNCH Metro that operatives from the Ekiadolor Division confronted the gunmen in a shootout during an initial rescue attempt.
“Five of the victims were rescued unhurt, while four others were taken away by the fleeing abductors,” she stated.
“The command, in collaboration with hunters and vigilantes, has launched an intensive bush-combing operation to track down the kidnappers and rescue the remaining victims.”
Reports from sources like Vanguard and The Guardian indicate police have arrested two suspected kidnappers in related operations, highlighting intensified security responses amid rising incidents on major highways.
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