The Rising Fear in Edo’s Forests
What used to be a peaceful agricultural zone in Edo State has turned into a network of terror. From silent surveillance to strategic abductions, heavily armed herdsmen have turned kidnapping into a booming underground industry.
Residents no longer sleep with both eyes closed, and travelers fear venturing onto key highways.
Kidnapping as a Profession
Gone are the days when kidnappers targeted only the rich. Today, the crime has evolved into an organized operation where victims are grabbed, handed over, and transferred through a network of collaborators—from locals acting as informants to herdsmen posing as cattle rearers.
Forests that once fed communities now serve as holding cells for ransom negotiations.
Inside the Kidnap Network
The kidnap chain operates like a supply business. “Monitors” gather information, “grabbers” seize the victims, “off-takers” move them deeper into the forest, and “collectors” receive the ransom.
Some victims, upon release, identify their captors by language—Pidgin-speaking locals, Igbo or Yoruba kidnappers, or Fulani gunmen who mostly dwell in forest camps.
Fulani Presence: From Pastoralists to Peril
Fulani herders once peacefully grazed cattle during dry seasons, left during the rains, and shared their harvests with farmers. But as tsetse fly threats diminished and cattle business boomed, their presence became permanent.
Eventually, criminal infiltrators—some from outside Nigeria—used their cover to settle and operate in Edo.
The Ondo Clampdown That Shifted Trouble to Edo
After the formation of Amotekun in the Southwest and Ondo’s directive in 2021 for unregistered herders to vacate forests, many herders were escorted out—only to cross into Edo State, which lacked a strong local security structure.
There, they regrouped, assimilated, and resumed attacks.
When Camps Became Command Centers for Crime
Initial hospitality turned sour when Edo communities discovered that herders they had accommodated were harboring criminals. Armed herdsmen eventually took over existing camps, chased away legitimate herders, and created new operational bases in deep forests across Edo, Delta, Bayelsa, and other parts of the Niger Delta.
A Chilling Collaboration with Locals
What’s even more troubling is the complicity of locals—youths acting as errand boys, community informants, and even negotiators. In some instances, kidnappers had detailed knowledge of victims’ homes, plans, and spending. Forests once safe for palm tappers and hunters now hide informants aiding kidnappers.
Flashpoints of Fear
Security agencies have identified several hot zones:
Edo South: Ahor bypass, Ovia Forests, Orhionmwon farmlands.
Edo Central: Iruekpen to Ewohimi forest belt.
Edo North: Okpella border forests and Sasaro Hill near Igarra.
Farmers are abandoning lands, and villages are emptying out.
“Uromi Was Never Like This” — Prince Olumese
According to Prince Eugene Olumese of Uromi, kidnapping was once foreign to Esan land. “Uromi used to be known for peace. We accepted strangers. We only knew cult scuffles, not terrorism,” he said. “The problem escalated under the last two administrations.
While former Governor Obaseki tackled kidnappings on the expressway, criminals moved deeper into the forests.”
The message from locals, vigilantes, and traditional leaders is clear: they need help—vehicles, funding, and state-backed security forces to flush out these terror camps.
Communities can’t keep fighting this battle alone.
Do you live in Edo or the Niger Delta? Share your thoughts or report suspicious forest activities anonymously.
Let’s reclaim our land—together.
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