Troops of the Nigerian Army’s 4 Brigade under 2 Division, in collaboration with the Edo State Security Corps, have neutralised a suspected notorious kidnapper, rescued four abducted victims and arrested another suspect during separate operations in Edo State.

The operations were carried out under Operation IGBO DANU 1 in Warake Forest, Auchi Local Government Area, and Ujemen in Esan West Local Government Area.

This was disclosed in a statement on Wednesday by the Assistant Director, Army Public Relations, 4 Brigade Nigerian Army, Capt. Kennedy Anyanwu.

According to the statement, the troops conducted a night operation on Tuesday, following reports of gunshots in Warake Forest.

The statement read, “Troops during Operation IGBO DANU 1 working alongside personnel from the Nigerian Army School of Electrical and Mechanical Engineers and local vigilantes carried out a night operation on March 3, 2026 in Warake Forest, Auchi Local Government Area.

“The troops responded to gunshots heard in the forest during a night patrol with aggressive pursuit and minimum use of firearms.

“The gallant troops neutralised a notorious kidnapper that has been terrorising Auchi and environs during the encounter. The superior firepower of troops forced the remaining criminals to abandon their victims and flee into the bush.”

The Army said four kidnapped victims were rescued during the operation and later reunited with their families.

The statement added, “Four victims including Stella Abbas (29), Tina Ododa (19), Razak Rashid (27) and Mutanibi Kalifa (16), were rescued unhurt and later reunited with their families.

“Items recovered from the neutralised kidnapper are cash amount of Six Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira (N650,000) only, footwear, power bank and mobile phones.”

The Army further revealed that troops carried out another operation the same day in Ujemen, Esan West Local Government Area, where a suspected kidnapper was arrested.

“In a separate operation on March 3 2026, troops in collaboration with the Edo State Security Corps raided a house in Ujemen, Esan West Local Government Area suspected to be a kidnapper’s hideout.

“A 39-year-old suspect, Omogbegha Solomon, was arrested during the raid.

“During the operation, troops discovered a shrine containing charms and photographs of various individuals in an abandoned room within the compound. The shrine was destroyed in-situ, and the suspect was handed over to the Nigeria Police Force Ekpoma Division for further investigation,” the statement added.

The Commander of 4 Brigade, Brig.-Gen. Ahmed Balogun, commended the troops for their efforts and urged them to intensify operations against criminal elements in the state.

“The Commander 4 Brigade, Brigadier General Ahmed Balogun, commended the troops for their dexterity and urged them to sustain the aggressive onslaught against all the criminal elements in line with directives from the General Officer Commanding 2 Division, Major General Chinedu Nnebeife,” the statement added.

Balogun also reassured residents of the brigade’s commitment to protecting lives and property across Edo State.

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No fewer than 4,000 persons arrested for dumping refuse on roadsides, drainage channels, medians and other unauthorised locations across Lagos State in the last 12 months have been prosecuted, the state government has said.

The Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, disclosed this in an exclusive interview with PUNCH Metro at his office on Wednesday.

Wahab’s comments come amid renewed concerns over heaps of waste dumped on road medians in parts of the state, raising questions about the capacity of Private Sector Participants and the Lagos Waste Management Authority to effectively manage refuse collection.

Expressing displeasure at what he described as blatant violations of environmental laws, the commissioner queried the rationale behind indiscriminate waste disposal by Lagos residents, saying, “The question we need to ask is: Why are people taking waste from their homes and dumping it on the median? Is that fair to the state? Sometimes, you wake up and see people using very beautiful and expensive vehicles to dump refuse on the roadside or on road medians.”

He emphasised that enforcement remains a central component of the state government’s Clean Lagos strategy.

“We have arrested a lot of them (environmental violators). My belief is that there must be consequences for bad behaviour. That is why we take them to court. We have prosecuted over 4,000 in the last 12 months. We are not playing.

“There is no way you will have laws, and you can’t enforce them. In Singapore, you can’t chew gum because you will pay a penalty.”

In response to complaints by residents that the PSP operators rarely collect waste, Wahab emphasised the importance of payment compliance.

“If you don’t pay, how do you want to enjoy the service? They are business people. The government still intervenes by supporting them with subsidies and grants,” he said.

While admitting that the waste evacuation framework requires adjustments, he maintained that the system is workable.

“The system will work, but we need to rejig it to ensure operators earn commensurate income from their businesses, while maintaining a balance where LAWMA also does much more.”

The commissioner also revealed that the state is expanding its landfill capacity, with new sites under development in Epe, Oke-Oso and Erekete in Badagry.

“With the opening of new landfills around Epe, Oke-Oso and Erekete in Badagry, we must put proper infrastructure in place to make them attractive and accessible to the PSP operators,” he said.

Drawing a global comparison, Wahab referenced recent waste management challenges in the United Kingdom.

“This time last year, the whole of Birmingham was dealing with mountains of refuse for about seven to eight months. That is a developed country. It was a phase. All over the world, waste management is a challenge. But what we will never do is raise our hands and surrender. That would mean we have failed.”

He claimed that the situation in Lagos had improved in recent weeks following stricter oversight and enforcement.

“In the past few weeks, if we are fair to the government, things have tremendously improved.

“We have started monitoring the PSP operators and warned them that if they can’t meet the expectations of refusal collection and disposal, we will take them out of the system. LAWMA has also doubled its support in terms of capacity. That is why there is noticeable improvement across the state.”

Reiterating his stance on enforcement, Wahab maintained that environmental compliance must be taken seriously.

According to a report by PUNCH Metro in December 2025, Lagos State generates over 13,000 metric tonnes of waste daily — a volume that exceeds the daily output of some African countries — underscoring the scale of the challenge confronting the state’s waste management system.

The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons has secured a 14-year jail term for a couple, Abiodun Ogundeji and Happiness Ogundeji, for operating a baby factory in Ilutitun, Okitipupa Local Government Area of Ondo State.

The Lagos Zonal Commander of NAPTIP, Mrs Comfort Agboko, disclosed this during a press briefing at the agency’s headquarters in Ikeja on Tuesday.

Agboko said the conviction followed an 11-year trial before a Federal High Court sitting in Akure, the Ondo State capital.

According to her, the case was initially referred to NAPTIP by the Nigerian Immigration Service in January 2014, which led to a detailed investigation.

She explained that preliminary findings revealed that the convicts operated the illegal baby factory at their country home located at No. 10 Sarajo Street, Ilutitun.

“Preliminary investigation revealed that the two convicts operated a baby factory at their country home, where underage pregnant girls were brought in and detained against their will, deliberately awaiting delivery of their babies for sale to customers,” Agboko said.

She added that a search of the premises uncovered several items, including hospital cards, eight cars with their keys, two bungalows, N4m in cash found in the trunk of one of the vehicles, a poultry farm and various domestic animals.

Agboko disclosed that NAPTIP obtained a court order on May 12, 2014, from the Federal High Court in Akure to seal and seize the properties found within the premises.

She further stated that after years of prosecution, Justice F. A. Olubanjo found the defendants guilty on a 10-count charge bordering on unlawful detention of victims and deprivation of personal liberty, contrary to Section 19(c) of the Trafficking in Persons (Prohibition) Law Enforcement and Administration Act, 2003.

“The convicts, Ogundeji Happiness Ayodele (female) and Prince Ogundeji Abiodun (male), were on Thursday, February 26, 2026, sentenced to 14 years’ imprisonment without an option of fine by the Federal High Court in Akure,” she said.

The court also ordered the forfeiture of the eight cars and two bungalows traced to the convicts as proceeds of crime to the Federal Government of Nigeria through NAPTIP.

Agboko added that the N4m recovered during the investigation was also forfeited to the Federal Government.

“The court further ordered that the properties of the convicts be auctioned and directed that N1m each be paid as restitution to the three victims who testified during the trial,” she said.

Describing the judgment as a landmark achievement, Agboko said it would serve as a strong deterrent to human traffickers.

“This is a landmark conviction that sends a clear warning to perpetrators of human trafficking that, no matter how long it takes, they will eventually face the full wrath of the law,” she said.

She commended the judiciary, the Nigerian Immigration Service, the Nigeria Police in Akure and other stakeholders for their support in securing the conviction.

The conviction adds to a growing list of successes recorded by NAPTIP in its fight against human trafficking nationwide.

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