A civic tech accountability group, MonITNG, has sounded the alarm over a disturbing rise in kidnappings across Edo State, urging Governor Monday Okpebholo and security agencies to take urgent and decisive action.
In a post shared on X (formerly Twitter) titled “KIDNAPPING ALERT IN EDO STATE!”, the organisation expressed grave concern over what it described as “a growing wave of insecurity that continues to plunge families into pain and fear.”
According to MonITNG, about ten passengers travelling from Sabo-Gidda Ora in Owan West Local Government Area to Benin City were abducted by gunmen on Saturday, 25 October 2025, around the NIFOR area near Aso-Rock Police Checkpoint, along the Benin–Sobe–Akure Road.
The victims reportedly included Mr. John Odion from Ogute-Emai, Owan East LGA, and Miss Ayeni Joy, among others. The abductors were said to have released the driver and two breastfeeding mothers, while the remaining passengers were taken into the forest.
MonITNG revealed that Mr Odion, who had struggled to find transport from Afuze to Benin, joined the ill-fated journey after boarding a vehicle at Sabo, only
to be kidnapped moments later. The kidnappers initially demanded ₦20 million ransom, later reducing it to ₦10 million after negotiations began.Similarly, Miss Joy was reportedly abducted near the same location while returning from Afuze, with her captors demanding ₦20 million for her release.
The group lamented that these incidents have once again “exposed the frightening state of insecurity on Edo highways, where innocent citizens now live in constant fear of abduction.”
MonITNG appealed to the Edo State Government, the Nigeria Police Force, the Nigerian Army, and local vigilante groups to “act swiftly and decisively to rescue the victims and restore safety along the Benin–Sobe–Akure corridor.”
It further warned that “urgent intervention and visible security presence” were necessary to prevent further tragedies.
In a passionate closing statement, MonITNG declared:
“This is a call for justice, action, and humanity. Edo State must not become a haven for kidnappers. The lives of our brothers and sisters matter. The government and security agencies must rise to their duty—protect lives, rescue victims, and restore peace.”
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