Edo Police Rescue All 13 Benin-Lagos Abduction Victims

The Edo State Police Command says it has rescued the remaining six passengers abducted from a Young Shall Grow Motors bus on the Benin-Lagos Road, bringing the total number of freed victims in the case to 13.

Punch and Channels Television reported that the passengers were kidnapped on May 9 at Ogua Community while travelling from Akwa Ibom State to Lagos. The latest rescue was announced on Saturday, May 23, making the safe recovery of the final victims the fresh development in the story.

The distinction matters because the abduction itself is not new. What makes the story current is the completion of the rescue operation after two weeks of police search efforts.

Last six victims rescued alive

Police spokesperson Eno Ikoedem said the remaining passengers were rescued unhurt after sustained bush-combing operations in the area. Channels reported that five passengers, including two adults and three children, had been rescued earlier after the attack.

Other reports of the police statement added that two more passengers were rescued on May 10 after operatives used drones, aerial surveillance and intelligence-led operations while tracking the kidnappers. The latest recovery of six victims brings the total to 13.

The rescue closes the immediate chapter for the victims, even though it does not erase the bigger security problem on the Benin-Lagos corridor. That road keeps showing up in abduction reports for a reason.

Police say the manhunt is still on

The Edo command said efforts were continuing to track and arrest the kidnappers responsible for the attack. Commissioner of Police Monday Agbonika also praised the operatives involved in the rescue mission and assured residents that the command was still combing the area.

The police account said the rescue operation involved drones, aerial surveillance, intelligence support and ground searches. That level of deployment shows how difficult the corridor has become for routine policing.

The timing is what makes this story hold up as a fresh draft. The attack happened more than two weeks ago, but the rescue of the final six passengers landed on Friday and Saturday, turning it into a real update rather than a recycled crime brief.

For travellers, the relief is obvious: all the abducted passengers are now accounted for. The harder question is whether security agencies can make the road safer before another bus is forced into the same nightmare.

Sources: Punch, Channels Television