By Ehis Agbon , Abuja.
The Edo State Police Command has reorganised the Ekpoma Police Division and recorded major operational breakthroughs, including the arrest of 11 suspected kidnappers and the uncovering of a self-kidnapping case, as Governor Monday Okpebholo dismissed claims that recent unrest in Ekpoma was a students’ protest.
In a statement on Tuesday, the Commissioner of Police in Edo State, CP Monday Agbonika, ordered a strategic reorganisation of the Ekpoma Division as part of efforts to strengthen security in the area. The reorganisation included the immediate posting of CSP Tomofe Nwabueze as the new Divisional Police Officer (DPO).
Shortly after assuming duty, the new DPO acted on a report of an alleged kidnapping along Old INEC Road, Ekpoma, received on January 12, 2026. Police investigations, supported by technical intelligence, led to the arrest of the caller, identified as 18-year-old Obehi Odine, who later confessed to staging her own kidnapping.
According to the police, the suspect fabricated the incident and demanded a ransom of ₦10 million in a bid to extort money. The Command warned members of the public against making false kidnapping reports, noting that such actions waste security resources, cause panic and undermine public confidence.
In a related operation, police in Ubiaja, working with the Nigerian Military and the Edo State Security Corps (ESSC), arrested 11 male suspects during a coordinated bush-combing exercise around Akwocha Camp and adjoining forest corridors. The operation followed intelligence generated through drone surveillance, which identified a concealed forest enclave believed to be a kidnapping and logistics base.
Exhibits recovered from the suspects included 24 Dane guns, 17 cutlasses, three battle axes, gunpowder, mobile phones, solar panels, assorted charms, a Daylong motorcycle and ₦209,700 in cash. The police said investigations were ongoing to dismantle the wider criminal network.
Meanwhile, Governor Monday Okpebholo has declared that the recent unrest in Ekpoma was not organised by students of Ambrose Alli University (AAU), describing the incident as a criminal act carried out by non-students loitering around the institution.
The Governor made the clarification during a meeting with the President of the Students’ Union Government (SUG) of AAU, Comrade Osadebamen Ehizogie Michael. He said intelligence reports showed that the unrest was orchestrated by a group identifying themselves as the “Ambrose Alli Comrade Community,” made up of individuals no longer enrolled as students.
“This was not a students’ protest. These are people who are no longer students but are just hanging around the school, causing trouble and extorting students,” Okpebholo said, adding that anyone found responsible would be brought to justice.
He assured the SUG leadership that any genuine students arrested during security operations would be identified and released promptly, stressing that the disturbance was an avenue for looting rather than a protest. The Governor also dismissed reports of kidnapping linked to the incident, describing them as fake and stage-managed to mislead the public and create tension.
Governor Okpebholo condemned the burning of markets and destruction of property in Ekpoma, warning that sponsors of violence, regardless of political affiliation, would be prosecuted. He emphasized that the state government had no issues with AAU students, noting that no arrests were made within the university campus.
Corroborating the Governor’s position, the SUG President said students did not organise any protest and welcomed assurances that innocent students would be released. The Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Administration) of AAU, Prof. Andrew Eromonsele, also confirmed that no arrests took place within the campus.
The Edo State Government and the Police Command reiterated their commitment to restoring peace in Ekpoma, sustaining intelligence-led policing and ensuring that criminal elements exploiting the university environment are decisively dealt with according to the law.
