By Peter.
In a dramatic turn of events, two siblings abducted on November 8 along the Adughe-Imoga Road have managed to flee their captors and return home safely, according to local reports.
The victims, Isaac and Victor Olayere, were seized in the Uma/Imoga area and dragged into dense bushland, where the abductors swiftly contacted their family demanding a hefty N22 million ransom. The demand plunged the tight-knit community in Akoko Edo Local Government Area of Edo State into panic and uncertainty.
As families and locals scrambled to respond, the brothers reached out to their father using an unfamiliar phone number, revealing they had broken free from the kidnappers’ hideout. The escape unfolded when the assailants reportedly fell into a sudden, heavy sleep deep in the forest, giving the captives a narrow window to slip away undetected.
They were soon spotted by vigilantes from the neighboring Adughe community in Kogi State, who share linguistic ties with Uma/Imoga through the Okpameri dialect. Alerted by the find, Imoga youths mobilized and ventured into the woods, but the kidnappers had already roused and vanished by the time searchers arrived.
Oba Patrick Obajoye, the Okpahi of Imoga Kingdom, shared these details in a phone conversation on Monday, underscoring the escalating threats in the region. “Kidnappings and incursions by armed herders are tearing at the fabric of our daily lives,” he said, urging federal and state authorities to intervene. He highlighted Imoga’s vulnerable position, straddling the borders of Edo, Ondo, and Kogi states, which has turned it into a hotspot for such crimes.
The monarch advocated for a permanent police outpost in the area to enable routine patrols and restore calm. “As the biggest settlement in Akoko Edo by sheer size, Imoga serves as a vital corridor linking Edo to northern Nigeria. Herders have flooded in, heightening the risks,” he explained. He also disclosed that he had promptly notified the Ibillo Police Station following the initial abduction, hoping for a swift operational response.
This incident underscores the persistent insecurity plaguing Edo State, even amid efforts by Governor Monday Okpebholo, who assumed office on November 12, 2024. The administration has moved aggressively on infrastructure fixes like road repairs, property recoveries, educational boosts, and gender-balanced appointments. On security, the governor has supplied vehicles, bikes, and gear to law enforcement bodies statewide.
Yet, abductions continue unabated, with multiple incidents cropping up weekly. Tensions boiled over dramatically on March 28, 2025, in Uromi, Edo Central, where a furious crowd took matters into their own hands. Suspecting a group of northern-bound travelers of kidnapping ties after discovering firearms in their truck, the mob lynched around 16 individuals, resulting in seven fatalities.
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