Barely 24 hours after residents of Ekpoma, headquarters of Esan West Local Government Area of Edo State, protested against escalating insecurity, gunmen have struck again, abducting a man in an operation captured on closed-circuit television.
Footage now circulating online shows the victim driving into his residence, apparently unaware he was being watched. Moments after parking, armed men emerged from a bush behind the house, accosted him and forced him away to an undisclosed location.
The abduction came a day after angry residents staged a mass protest to demand decisive action from security agencies and the Edo State Government over persistent kidnapping incidents in the area.
During the demonstration, protesters tore down campaign billboards mounted ahead of the 2027 general elections, accusing politicians of focusing on early political campaigns while residents faced growing threats to their safety.
Tensions escalated during the protest when a 32-year-old man, identified as Osagie Abraham, was shot by a soldier. On Sunday, however, the Edo State Police Command said the Commissioner of Police had ordered an investigation into the shooting, adding that Abraham was alive and receiving medical attention.
In a statement dated January 11, 2026, the police said the protest, which began as a peaceful gathering on Saturday, was later hijacked by individuals who engaged in vandalism, looting and other criminal acts.
The police explained that the demonstration was sparked by the abduction and killing of a young man on January 9, 2026, allegedly by suspected kidnappers.
According to the statement signed by the Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Eno Ikoedem, the Commissioner of Police, CP Monday Agbonika, visited Ekpoma during the unrest and later led reinforcements from the command headquarters in Benin City to restore calm.
The latest incident has further heightened public anxiety, coming amid controversy over a viral video allegedly showing the Divisional Police Officer in Ekpoma warning protesters that he would be replaced by a “Hausa police officer” who would not tolerate dissent.
In the video, the officer is heard saying: “Don’t worry, I will leave Ekpoma, and they will bring a Hausa officer who won’t listen to anybody.”
