Police recover 350 ammunition rounds from commercial bus – Official

The Police in EdoState said they have arrested suspects in separate murder, sexual abuse, armed robbery and cultism cases, including four men allegedly connected to the theft of property worth more than N400 million from a communications complex in Auchi.

The command also said it recovered 350 rounds of ammunition of different calibres and arrested two officials of a transport company after intercepting a bus on the Benin-Lagos Road.

The Commissioner of Police in Edo State, Patrick Daaor, disclosed these in a press briefing posted on the command’s Facebook page on Wednesday.

According to Mr Daaor, the arrests and recoveries resulted from intelligence-led operations, stop-and-search activities and patrols across the state.

In one of the murder cases, the police said a woman was allegedly killed, one of her breasts severed and her body dumped by the roadside. Two suspects have been arrested in connection with murder cases, although the police did not disclose their identities or provide further details about the circumstances of the woman’s death.

The command said investigations were ongoing and the suspects would be charged to court.

N400m robbery

The police said the Auchi Area Command dismantled a criminal syndicate allegedly responsible for a robbery at the Paparazzi Communication Complex in Auchi on 12 July 2026.

The robbery reportedly resulted in the death of the security guard on duty and the theft of property valued at more than N400 million.

The four suspects identified by the police are Hamisu Nuhu, 34, from Jattu, whom the command described as the alleged mastermind, and Suleiman Rabiu, Hussaini Gago and Ibrahim Haruna.

The police did not disclose the specific items allegedly stolen or state whether the stolen property had been recovered.

Ammunition recovered from bus

In a separate operation on 20 October, the command said police operatives intercepted a Toyota Ultra bus belonging to GUO Transport Company along the Benin-Lagos Road.

A search of the vehicle, with registration number AGU721ZL, reportedly led to the recovery of 100 rounds of 7.62mm AK-47 ammunition, 50 rounds of 7.65mm ammunition and 200 rounds of 9mm ammunition.

The police also said three bags containing substances suspected to be cannabis were found in the vehicle.

The driver, Godwin Emeka, 37, and Enearu Louis, 40, identified by the command as the transport company’s operational manager, were arrested.

The police did not state where the ammunition and suspected cannabis originated, their intended destination or whether the suspects had been charged.

Cultism, armed robbery

The command also reported the arrest of four suspected members of the Eiye Secret Cult Confraternity following a confrontation with police operatives along Upper Siluko Road in Benin City on 17 October.

The police said operatives of the Violent Crime Response Unit were gathering intelligence when they received information that suspected cultists were planning to initiate new members.

According to the command, a man identified as Kevwe Kokori, who claimed to belong to a vigilante group, was initially intercepted and released. The police alleged that he later returned with about 20 men on motorcycles, armed with dangerous weapons, and attempted to attack the operatives, damaging the windscreen of a police vehicle.

The officers overpowered the group and arrested four suspects: Mr Kokori, 30; Omoregbe Iguma, 38; Gabriel Kokori, 32; and Emmanuel Friday, 39.

The command said the suspects confessed to belonging to the Eiye confraternity, adding that efforts were ongoing to arrest other members who escaped.

In another operation on 2 October, police arrested Chidiebere Osazee at an uncompleted building near AY Junction in Ulegun community, off the Benin-Abraka Road.

A cut-to-size single-barrelled gun was reportedly recovered from him. The police said he confessed to belonging to the Eiye confraternity and claimed ownership of the weapon. Efforts to arrest other suspected members were continuing.

The command also announced the arrest of two suspected armed robbers accused of dispossessing motorcycle riders of their motorcycles around Amagba, Ugbor and the Government Reserved Area of Benin City.

The police said the operation followed information provided by Blessing Ezekiel, who reported that her boyfriend, Nanta James, also known as Sani, often returned home late at night with bloodstains on his clothes.

Operatives of the Violent Crime Response Unit, working with officers from Ugbor Division and members of the Edo State Security Corps, arrested Mr James, whom the police said confessed to being an armed robber who specialised in stealing motorcycles from riders.

His alleged accomplice, Sambo Bala, was subsequently arrested. The police said the stolen motorcycle was recovered.

Sexual abuse, vehicle theft

The command said three suspects were in custody over separate sexual assault and defilement cases involving minors, including a girl aged two years and nine months and a four-year-old child.

The cases are being handled by the command’s Gender and Family Unit, and the suspects are expected to be charged to court, according to the police. The statement did not provide further details about the allegations or identify the suspects.

In another case, police arrested Osakpanwan Ekuase, 30, on 31 August over the alleged theft of five vehicles from a mechanic workshop in Ogheghe community, Benin City.

The command said the suspect allegedly posed as a worker at the workshop before stealing the vehicles.

The police called on residents to remain vigilant, cooperate with security agencies and promptly report suspicious activities.