In 2025, operatives of the Edo State Police Command arrested 821 suspects for various offences, the state Commissioner of Police, Monday Agbonika, announced on Monday.
Agbonika gave the figures during the command’s year-end security review, which also highlighted measures put in place to ensure a peaceful Christmas and New Year in the state. The arrests covered a wide range of crimes, including 39 armed robbery suspects, 171 for kidnapping, 117 for murder, 62 linked to rape and sexual offences, 239 for cultism, 36 for unlawful possession of firearms, and 157 for other offences.
Significant recoveries were also made during the year, including 11 stolen vehicles, 188 firearms of various calibres, and 422 rounds of ammunition, reflecting what Agbonika described as “a decisive push against organised crime and violent criminality.”
He attributed the successes to proactive, intelligence-driven policing, particularly the intensified operations rolled out for the festive season. These included visibility patrols, targeted stop-and-search operations, intelligence-led deployments, and sustained community engagement aimed at deterring crime.
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A major highlight was a large-scale clearance operation in Edo North, personally led by Agbonika from December 14 to 20, 2025. The exercise, conducted with approval from the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Kayode Egbetokun, involved police helicopters and drones and received logistical support from the Edo State Government. Ground operations were carried out in collaboration with the Nigerian Army’s 4 Brigade, the Nigerian Air Force 107 Air Maritime Group, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, forest guards, local vigilantes, and hunters. The commissioner said the clearance operations would continue beyond the festive period.
Agbonika also urged residents to remain vigilant and law-abiding, stressing that security is a collective responsibility. He issued a stern warning over reports of missing corpses from private morgues, calling the acts criminal and inhuman, and advised families to use government-owned mortuaries for proper oversight.
He reaffirmed that the command’s 24-hour emergency lines remain active and called on the public to report any suspicious activities as the state enters the festive season.