The victims Muritala Babatunde, Bello Aminat, Otor Prince and Yeiyah Gift were rescued unhurt following the operation conducted by a combined team of police personnel, members of the Vigilante Group of Nigeria (VGN), local hunters and other security stakeholders.
The police said the incident occurred at about 10:40pm on July 30, 2026, when about three armed men, allegedly dressed in vigilante uniforms, blocked the Ugbokun axis of the expressway, shortly before the military checkpoint, using logs of wood and leaves.
According to the Edo State Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Eno Ikoedem, the hoodlums attacked motorists and abducted some occupants into the forest before the distress call reached the Okada Divisional Police Station.
Ikoedem said the Divisional Police Officer, Okada Division, immediately mobilised security personnel to the scene, where they commenced an aggressive bush-combing operation to locate the victims and apprehend the abductors.
He said the operation was enhanced with drone technology, adding that the sustained pressure mounted by the security teams forced the kidnappers to release their captives and flee.
The police spokesman said the rescued victims had been reunited with their families, while the command commended the personnel and other security stakeholders for their bravery, professionalism and effective collaboration.
He assured residents that the manhunt for the fleeing suspects was ongoing, urging members of the public to provide the police with timely and credible information to facilitate their arrest and prosecution.
