Edo State Police rescued 13 passengers of Young Shall Grow Motors who were kidnapped on May 9, 2026, along the Benin-Sapele road near Ologbo. The victims were travelling to Lagos from Akwa Ibom State when gunmen stopped their bus and took them into the bush.
The police command announced the rescue on Saturday, May 23, 2026, through its Public Relations Officer, ASP Eno Ikoedem. She said the kidnappers shot one female passenger during the abduction but did not say whether the victim survived or the extent of her injuries.
The rescue happened in stages over two weeks. Five passengers, including two adults and three children, were the first to be freed when police operatives launched coordinated rescue and bush combing operations. On May 10, 2026, officers deployed drones and aerial surveillance to track the kidnappers. They engaged the abductors in a gunfight and rescued two more victims. The final six passengers were later recovered unhurt.
The kidnappers had demanded N30 million ransom for each victim before the police operation freed them. Commissioner of Police Monday Agbonika praised the operatives for their courage and resilience in the rescue. He said the command would not stop hunting the abductors and warned that intensive bush combing operations were still ongoing to catch those responsible for the kidnapping.
The police command did not say whether any arrests had been made or provide details about the condition of the passenger who was shot.
