Gunmen suspected to be kidnappers have reportedly killed a 300 level student of the Ambrose Alli University, AAU, Ekpoma and kidnapped five others in Edo State.
Newslodge gathered that the incident occurred separately on Friday, July 10 and Sunday, July 12, 2026 in Idoa and Ekpoma communities, respectively.
In the accident that occurred on July 12, 2026, a student whose identity has not yet been determined was kidnapped on the night of the fateful day when armed men invaded his residence. The attackers also apparently kidnapped a woman that same day.
Newslodge reports that the murder of the student and the kidnapping of the woman were revealed on the Facebook page of the Esan Political Assembly.
In the Idoa kidnapping incident, the gunmen kidnapped the secretary and took him to the community palace along with three children.
Newslodge gathered that the victims were kidnapped on the morning of Friday, July 10, 2026.
A source who said the secretary is his brother and his neighbours’ children, added that the kidnappers have demanded a ransom of N30 million.
He said the kidnappers threatened to kill the victims if the ransom was not paid by the end of July 13.
According to him, “My brother was kidnapped on Friday morning in Idoa community, Esan West Local Government Area. He is the secretary of Idoa palace. They are demanding N30 million.
“He was kidnapped along with other small children who were accompanying him, his vehicle broke down on the way to the farm and he left it where it broke down.
“The next day, he returned to the place with tools and other things to repair the engine. While he was there to repair the vehicle, armed men came out of the bush, cornered them and took them into the bush.
“They contacted us demanding a ransom of N30 million and threatened to kill them if we did not bring the money before the end of today.
“The children are his neighbors. The children followed him to where he wanted to repair his vehicle just to give him support, and he had to bring them back home after the repair because they live together,” he said.
While calling for the intervention of the government and security agencies to rescue the victims, he said the incident was reported to the police.
At the time of reporting, the Public Relations Officer of the Edo State Police Command, ASP Eno Ikoedem, was yet to respond to a message sent to her WhatsApp.
Newslodge recalls that a senior chief of the community, identified as Chief Jimah Jacob Ogboi, was allegedly murdered on February 26, 2026 and his daughters kidnapped.
It is alleged that the gunmen attacked during the night and instantly shot the deceased while using machetes and other dangerous weapons on his wife.
The gunmen, four in total, allegedly invaded the deceased’s home, shot him and left with his two daughters.