Ubuneke-Ivbiaro community in Owan East Local Government Area of Edo State was thrown into mourning after suspected kidnappers murdered a woman and abducted her husband, Mr. Arimazoya Abona, who is said to be in his 70s. The abductors have demanded a ransom of N100 million for his release.
Eyewitnesses reported that the attackers, armed and masked, stormed the community through a bush path linking the Ivbiaro-Auchi-Ikpeshi forest. In the process, they shot Mrs. Abona in the neck, causing panic among residents and passersby, who fled the scene for safety.
In response to the incident, youths from Ubuneke-Ivbiaro mobilized and made attempts to track the kidnappers into the forest, but their efforts were unsuccessful. Men of the Nigeria Police Force from the Afuze Divisional Headquarters, alongside military personnel, also visited the crime scene. The remains of the deceased woman have since been deposited in an undisclosed morgue.
Efforts to reach the Edo State Police Public Relations Officer, CSP Moses Yamu, for an official statement proved abortive as of the time of filing this report.
The community remains in shock, as calls intensify for stronger security measures and swift action to rescue Mr. Abona and bring the perpetrators to justice.
