Residents of Itsukwi community in Ward 9, Etsako East Local Government Area of Edo State, have been thrown into panic following the abduction of seven people, including six teenagers and a farmer, by suspected kidnappers.
The victims were reportedly kidnapped on Monday in two separate incidents.
One of the victims, identified as Alfred Kupa, was allegedly seized after encountering the armed men while on his way to his farm. The six teenagers were reportedly abducted while heading into the forest to collect sawn wood for a timber contractor in the community.
Following the attacks, security operatives, including the police, military, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, vigilantes and local youths, launched a search operation across the surrounding forests.
The Chairman of the Itsukwi Homeland Security, Malam Bashir Kasim, said security personnel were alerted and immediately mobilised to the area.
During the search, the team reportedly discovered blood-stained leaves and two spent AK-47 ammunition casings in the forest, raising concerns over the safety of the victims.
An eyewitness said it remained unclear whether anyone had been shot.
The kidnappers later contacted the victims’ families and reportedly demanded ₦60 million as ransom for their release.
President of the Itsukwi Youths, Sule Abako, said Kupa briefly spoke with his elder brother during one of the calls before the kidnappers took over the conversation.
According to him, the caller claimed that one of the captives had been injured and was bleeding heavily before abruptly ending the call.
A police helicopter was reportedly deployed to assist the search, but the victims had not been rescued as of the time of the report.
The latest incident has renewed concerns over persistent insecurity in Itsukwi and other communities in Ivieland, including Okpekpe, Imiakebu and Imiegba.
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Residents said repeated attacks had forced some farmers to abandon their farmlands, while others had reportedly sold property and livestock to raise money for ransom payments.
In April, a housewife, Jenny Igbeh, and an 80-year-old man, Pa Michael Arekheyemhe, were reportedly abducted from Itsukwi. Relatives later paid ₦11 million for their release after more than three weeks in captivity.
Igbeh subsequently alleged that the elderly man was killed after becoming too weak to continue walking.
Community leaders have appealed to the Edo State Government and Etsako East Local Government authorities to urgently strengthen security in the area and protect residents whose livelihoods depend largely on farming.
The Chairman of the Etsako East Local Government was reportedly unavailable for comment at the time of filing the report.
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