Edo: Police claiming vain glory for kidnapped monarch’s freedom – Lawmaker 

The lawmaker representing Igueben constituency at the Edo state House of Assembly, Hon Inegbeboh Ojie Eugene has berated operatives of the State police command for allegedly claiming undue glory for the freedom of HRH, Friday Ehizojie, the traditional ruler of Udo-Eguare kingdom.

Speaking during the Assembly plenary on Monday, the legislator

wondered how a kidnapped victim would be rescued without the abductors being apprehended.

According to him, “how do you rescue a person from kidnappers’ den without the culprits being apprehended?

“Do they just walk in there to bring the traditional ruler home? If they know the kidnappers they should show us.

“Mr speaker, I make bold to say that even though they (police) would not want to agree, it took the grace of God for my people in the village  to raise the ransom that brought back our king home.”

Eugene noted, Mr Speaker, “nobody should claim glory that they rescued him (traditional ruler). It is wrong.

“It’s interesting to know that during the trying period, I personally informed the security agencies of the kidnap of the traditional ruler. 

“The information was for them to see what they could do. But at the end of the day, I want to tell you that the security agencies were playing hide and seek.

“At the end of the day, none of them knew how the traditional ruler came back home, but only for them to come out now and start claiming the  glory and taking pictures with him after his freedom.”

Blueprint recalls that the traditional ruler was kidnapped by gunmen on  Friday 3, 2025 alongside three others while riding as a passenger on a motorcycle along a lonely path leading to his community.

However, in a statement issued on February 7, by CSP Moses Yamu, the state police command spokesman said the operatives in collaboration with vigilantes and hunters have rescued the monarch. 

Similarly, the Commander of the Edo State Security Corps (ESSC), Mr Friday Ibadin, also claimed that the traditional ruler was rescued by operatives of the Corps.

Ibadin, a retired Commissioner of Police said the corps personnel successfully combed the forest which led to the rescue of the Monarch and afterwards handed him over to the police for debriefing.