The Edo State Police Command has recorded a major security breakthrough, arresting 821 suspects and rescuing 377 kidnap victims in a year-long crackdown on crime across the state.

The State Commissioner of Police, Monday Agbonika, revealed this on Monday while briefing journalists on the Command’s performance from January to December 2025. According to him, the arrests cut across a wide range of serious offences, reflecting what he described as an aggressive and sustained fight against criminality.

Among those arrested were suspects linked to armed robbery, kidnapping, murder, rape and other sexual offences, cult-related activities, and unlawful possession of firearms, alongside others accused of various crimes. The police also recovered 11 stolen vehicles and seized 188 rounds of ammunition of different calibres during operations carried out within the period.

Agbonika attributed the successes to strong collaboration among security agencies, including the Nigerian Army’s Mechanised 4 Brigade, the Nigerian Air Force 107 Air Maritime Group, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, forest guards, local vigilante groups, and hunters. He said the joint efforts have significantly strengthened intelligence gathering and rapid response across both urban and rural areas of the state.

According to the police chief, the results demonstrate a shared commitment to confronting and neutralising security threats wherever they emerge in Edo State.

As the Christmas season approaches and preparations for the New Year begin, Agbonika reassured residents of the Command’s readiness to maintain peace and safety. He called on the public to remain vigilant, obey the law, and continue cooperating with security agencies to sustain the gains recorded over the past year.