A cattle dealer, Peter Balogun, who spent eight harrowing days with kidnappers, has narrated how the deployment of drones and helicopter made his abductors to abandon him and others.
Balogun, who is popularly known as ‘Oga Peter’, was abducted on July 7, 2026 along the Igarra-Auchi highway in the Edo North senatorial district, said his abductors demanded for N15 million ransom payment, but he offered to pay them N10 million.
The victim who spoke after he was released, said his abductors took him and four others kidnapped victims to different parts of the Imoga Forest.
He however, explained that fear and panic later took over the kidnappers when they saw drone and helicopter hovering in the sky.
Balogun particularly praised operatives of the Edo Police Command for the successful rescue operation.
Speaking on the rescue operation, the Edo spokesperson of the Police command in Edo State, Eno Ikoedem, said the rescue operation was led by Assistant Commissioner of Police in charge of Operations, ACP Innocent Nkeamatara.
The police PPRO stated that the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Olatunji Rilwan Disu, deployed fully equipped police helicopter from Abuja, adding that the helicopter had heavy assault capabilities, to provide aerial surveillance and operational support throughout the rescue mission.
Ikoedem said the kidnappers had no choice than to abandon their victims after they were unable to withstand pressure mounted by the advancing police teams, continuous drone surveillance and the persistent aerial patrol of the police helicopter.
According to Ikoedm; “The objective is to flush out all criminal elements, dismantle kidnapping camps, recover arms where possible, and ensure that every member of kidnapping gangs is brought to justice”.
