Troops raid suspected kidnappers’ hideout, recover clothing, food items in Edo
By Zagazola Makama
Troops of Operation MESA have raided a suspected kidnappers’ hideout in the Ogori Mangogo/Imorga Forest in Akoko-Edo Local Government Area of Edo State, recovering clothing, food supplies and other items believed to have been abandoned by the criminals.
The operation was conducted at about 6:00 a.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 8, 2026, by troops of 195 Battalion (Rear) and 109 Special Forces Battalion (Rear), alongside personnel of the Nigeria Police and the Edo State Security Corps (ESSC).
Sources said that the joint team conducted a clearance operation following intelligence indicating the presence of suspected kidnappers in the forest.
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The troops searched and cleared the suspected hideout but did not make any arrest, as the occupants had reportedly fled before the arrival of the security forces.
Items recovered from the hideout included three trousers, four shirts, a blanket, one wrapper, a mat, a head warmer and a black face mask.
The troops also recovered a small solar panel with its battery, a camouflage face cap, three nylon trampolines, local medicine and other miscellaneous items.
Food supplies found at the hideout included one bush fowl, three tubers of yam and a nylon bag of garri, suggesting that the location had been used as a temporary camp.
The recovered items have been taken into military custody for further investigation and exploitation.
Security forces are expected to sustain clearance operations and patrols across the forest axis to locate fleeing suspects and deny criminal elements the opportunity to establish hideouts from which they could launch attacks or abduct residents and travellers.
