Danjuma Amodu | January 12, 2026
An ironic turn of events, Ekpoma’s cry for help turned into a double tragedy, just hours after residents marched in protest against kidnapping and insecurity, armed bandits struck again. A man was abducted as he drove into his compound on Sunday afternoon, captured raw on CCTV.
As the town struggles to process the horror, the Edo State High Court of Justice Complex on Sapele Road, Benin City, ordered the detention of dozens of youths arrested during Saturday’s protest, remanded for 14 days at Ubiaja Correctional Centre
The protest was sparked by the brutal murder of a young man on Jan 9 and fueled by months of unchecked abductions. The protest that started peacefully accorsing to the police was hijacked by unknown elements who turned the streets into battlefields, shops were ransacked, the Onojie’s palace was vandalized, and security forces were overwhelmed.
In the chaos, 32-year-old Osagie Abraham was shot by a military officer. He lies hospitalised under police guard alive but in critical condition.
According to the Police, the soldier who fired has been identified and handed over to military authorities for disciplinary action. But, for Ekpoma’s residents, the response feels too little, too late.
At Criminal Court 2, housed inside the High Court of Justice Complex on Sapele Road, Benin City, grieving families sobbed as their sons and brothers were escorted into waiting vans to be taken to Ubiaja Correctional Centre.
Police insist that those who vandalized, looted, and attacked officers will face justice.
A source close to the situation, an Ekpoma indigene living in Abuja who requested anonymity for fear of reprisal, told Newsworthonline.com that.
“The trust between the Esan people and security agencies is shattered. We protested because we are tired of burying our children. Now we’re being arrested for speaking up, while kidnappers walk free and cause more pain. Is this the Nigeria of our dreams?”
Sunday’s abduction, captured on grainy CCTV, shows the victim driving into his compound, oblivious to danger. Seconds later, masked gunmen burst from bushes, drag him out, and vanish. No ransom demand. No leads. Just silence till this moment.
Police Commissioner CP Monday Agbonika confirmed reinforcements were rushed from Benin, order was restored, and investigations launched. But for Ekpoma, the wounds run deeper than bullet holes. As at press time 2027, election billboards lie torn across town.
