5 kidnap victims freed with N15m ransom in Edo

A family of five, allegedly kidnapped by suspected criminals, has regained freedom after paying a N15 million ransom and providing other items worth N300,000 in Edo State. The victims, identified as members of the Bello family, were working on their farm on November 1, 2025, at Ivianokpodi, Agenebode, Etsako East Local Government Area, when gunmen […]

A family of five, allegedly kidnapped by suspected criminals, has regained freedom after paying a N15 million ransom and providing other items worth N300,000 in Edo State.

The victims, identified as members of the Bello family, were working on their farm on November 1, 2025, at Ivianokpodi, Agenebode, Etsako East Local Government Area, when gunmen allegedly stormed the location, kidnapped and whisked them into the bush.

The kidnappers reportedly contacted the family a day after the incident and initially demanded a ransom of  N100 million.

A community source, who requested anonymity, identified the victims as Nurudeen Bello, Waheed Bello, Haruna Bello, Usena Bello, and Matilda Bello.

“They went to the farm to do some work when the gunmen stormed the farm while they were working and kidnapped them into the bush,” the source said.

The source explained that a day after the abduction, the kidnappers called, demanding a ransom of ₦100 million for their release.

“As of November 6, the kidnappers beat down the ransom to ₦15 million. The ransom was paid on Friday, November 7, and they were released on Saturday morning. The kidnappers also demanded other items such as food, drinks, and hard drugs worth ₦300,000,” the source added.

The source, however, said he was unaware whether the incident was reported to the police.

The state police spokesperson, ASP Eno Ikoedem, said the command was not aware of the incident, as it was not reported to the police.

She advised members of the public to always report kidnapping cases to the police for prompt rescue.