Police, vigilante rescue pregnant woman, sister-in-law from kidnappers
Edo State Police Command said it has rescued the pregnant wife of the late Mr Friday Pius killed by suspected kidnappers on Monday, April 14, 2025 at the Uluoke community in Etsako West Local Government Area of the State.
The police also disclosed that the sister-in-law of the deceased, kidnapped along with his wife, was rescued.
The Public Relations Officer of the Command, Moses Yamu, disclosed this in a statement made available to newsmen on Sunday, April 20, 2025, in Benin City.
Yamu said the duo were rescued by operatives of the Divisional Police Headquarters, Iyamho, in the locality, in collaboration with vigilantes and hunters.
He said the victims were rescued on Friday, April 18, 2025 at about 9:15 pm.
He gave the names of the rescued persons as Esther Friday, 32, and Joy Iregbeyen, 23, the wife and the sister-in-law of the deceased respectively.
The Command’s image maker added that the kidnappers, as a result of the pressures being mounted on them by the security operatives, shot one of the women in the leg.
The Command’s spokesman said the woman is currently responding to treatment in an undisclosed hospital.
The statement read, “The Edo State Police Command has rescued another two (2) kidnapped victims on 18/04/2025 at about 2115hrs demonstrating its commitment to tackle criminality in the State.
“This is further to a case which was reported on 14/04/2025 at the Divisional Police Headquarters, Iyamho, where a woman and her sister were kidnapped after shooting and fatally wounding the woman’s husband at Oluoke community. The injured man was rushed to the hospital, where he was confirmed dead by a medical Doctor on duty.
“In a swift response, the DPO, Anti Kidnapping team stationed at Edo North, and Operation Rescue in the company of Vigilantes/Hunters mobilized and went after the kidnappers to rescue the victims and arrest the kidnappers.
“The resilience and determination of the operatives led to the rescue of the two (2) women, namely, Esther Friday, 32yrs and Joy Iregbeyen, 23yrs whom the kidnappers abandoned and ran away because of the mounting pressure by the security teams.
“Unfortunately, the kidnappers shot one of the women in the foot out of frustration, but she is currently responding to treatment.”
Salient Times gathered that on Thursday, April 17, 2025 reported that women in the community protested over the killing of the deceased by suspected herdsmen and the abduction of his pregnant wife and sister-in-law.
The women called on government at all levels, and the security agencies, to come to the aid of the community, as well as to help rescue the kidnapped pregnant woman and her sister.
The women said the deceased, a father of three, was killed in his house between 1 am and 2 am on the fateful day.
