MonITNG tasks Okpebholo, Police, DSS to rescue kidnapped Edo Couple

Benin, Edo – In a brazen act of violence that has sent shockwaves through Edo State's rural communities, armed kidnappers abducted a husband and wife from Aviele Community near Auchi.

The assailants, believed to be operating from forested hideouts, have since sent a harrowing video to the victims' family, demanding an exorbitant ₦50 million ransom for their safe return.

The couple, identified as Mr. and Mrs. Segiru Ibrahim, were reportedly taken along Aviele Road while returning home. According to family sources, the wife is pregnant, adding urgency to the desperate pleas for intervention.

The family has managed to scrape together only ₦7 million, far short of the kidnappers' demands, leaving relatives in a state of terror and helplessness.

The video has circulated widely on social media platforms including X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram.

The footage quickly shifts to a grim forest clearing, where the pair appears bound and disheveled, seated on the muddy ground amid dense foliage. An armed gunman, clad in military-style fatigues and wielding an AK-47 rifle, looms nearby, underscoring the immediate threat to their lives.

Civic tech platform MonITNG, which first amplified the video on X, described the footage as "disturbing" and a stark reminder of the escalating insecurity plaguing Edo's forests and farmlands.

In a post, the organization tagged Edo State Governor Monday Okpebholo (@m_akpakomiza) and security agencies, urging immediate action.

This abduction fits a chilling pattern of kidnappings in the region. Local activists report that the same gang was pursued by vigilantes and security forces from Ekpoma on November 13, 2025, before relocating to Aviele, a semi-rural area approximately 30 kilometers from Auchi town.

The group, allegedly masquerading as herdsmen, has exploited the dense Samara Forest and surrounding bushlands as a base for operations, targeting travelers on major roads and farmers in isolated communities.

This incident follows a string of abductions, including the kidnapping of 38 worshippers from a Christ Apostolic Church (CAC) event earlier in the month, highlighting a surge in banditry that has left residents too afraid to travel after dusk.

Edo State has seen a spike in such crimes amid broader national security challenges. In 2024 alone, the state recorded over 200 reported kidnappings, according to local police data, with forests serving as safe havens for criminals evading federal crackdowns.

MonITNG's post has ignited public outrage, with the platform demanding that the Edo State Government bolster security in vulnerable areas and launch forest sweeps to dismantle the gangs.

"Our forests, farmlands, and major roads have become unsafe... Edo people can no longer sleep with both eyes closed," the statement read, echoing sentiments from families and community leaders.

The appeal extends to federal authorities: the Nigeria Police Force (@EdoPoliceNG), Nigerian Army (@HQNigerianArmy), and Department of State Services (@OfficialDSSNG) have been urged to mount a rapid response operation.

Governor Okpebholo's office has yet to issue an official statement, but sources within the state security council indicate that joint task forces are being mobilized.

As the clock ticks, the Ibrahim family clings to hope. "No family should ever be put through this kind of horror," MonITNG concluded, a sentiment resonating across Nigeria's social media landscape