Edo community seeks end to kidnapping, killings

Indigenes and residents of Auchi and its environs in Etsako West Local Government Area of Edo State have called on President Bola Tinubu and the military high command to rescue them from incessant kidnapping and killings in the area.

The residents made the call on Thursday in an open letter by the Concerned Residents and Youths of Auchi Sacred Kingdom and Surrounding Communities, released by Abdul Maleeq and copied to the Minister of Defence, the Chief of Defence Staff and Governor Monday Okpebholo, among others.

The latest in the series of kidnappings in the area occurred on Sunday, April 19, when a young man identified as Christopher was killed while his female acquaintance was abducted and has yet to be released.

The incident took place about 100 metres from a checkpoint situated at a popular spot known as Fertiliser Checkpoint on Auchi-Igarra Road, an area that has become a regular site for violent kidnappings despite the presence of soldiers.

The area, popularly known as Igbira Camp, is less than three kilometres from the Nigerian Army School of Mechanical Engineering, yet kidnappers are said to operate freely there.

Efforts to get a response from the Army were unsuccessful as calls to the mobile line of the Assistant Director, Army Public Relations of the 4 Brigade, Nigerian Army, Benin City, Captain Kennedy Anyanwu, were neither picked nor returned. He only replied “noted” to a WhatsApp message sent to him.

In the open letter, the residents alleged that on one occasion, indigenous vigilantes and hunters received intelligence about kidnappers hiding in the bush, but when they moved to the area, soldiers at the checkpoint delayed them for nearly two hours, giving the suspected kidnappers an opportunity to escape.

The letter read, “We write this petition from a place of deep pain, fear and frustration. For too long, our area has been plagued by relentless kidnapping, violence and insecurity.

“The soldier checkpoint at Fertiliser Junction, Igbira Camp axis, meant to protect us, has instead become a symbol of abandonment, inaction and alleged misconduct.

“These are not isolated events. The Igbira Camp area and nearby axis have become notorious for abductions, with multiple incidents involving residents, including cases near City Pride Road and attempts on traders and workers along the Auchi-Igarra route. Families live in constant fear, with kidnappers striking even in broad daylight or near supposed security outposts.

“We acknowledge that the Nigerian Army has conducted operations in the broader Auchi area, neutralising some suspects and rescuing victims in forests. These efforts have not translated to visible protection or rapid response at this specific checkpoint.”