By Evelyn Usman
Ekpoma, the headquarters of Esan West, which comprises six other kingdoms: Egoro, Ukhun, Idoha, Ujogba, Ogwa, and Urohi, was once a serene town, celebrated for its calm streets, friendly people, and the lively rhythm of Ambrose Alli University.
The town used to awaken to the laughter of students, the calls of market traders, and the steady hum of everyday life. Parents sent their children to schools within and outside the state with confidence, students moved freely between hostels and lecture halls, and evenings were a time for rest, walks, and greetings to neighbours. It was a quiet life built on trust and safety.
Kidnappers strike
But that peace has been violently shattered. In recent times, kidnappers have struck across the town, snatching residents from homes, gates, and roads. Many students who traveled for the December 2025 holidays are now reluctant to resume, fearful for their lives. Farmers hesitate to enter their fields, while traders close shops early.
Key flashpoints identified by Saturday Vanguard include the farm settlements in Agric, Emaudo, Egoro Road, Ile Road, Ujeme, Ihiumudumu , and Ukhun Road. Some victims were reportedly students, while others include a couple abducted in Ujuolen on December 22, 2025, with a N100 million ransom demand. Their children took to social media to solicit help, posting: “Please, we, the family of ( names withheld) , need help. Our parents were kidnapped last night and they are demanding N100 million. Please, anyhow you can assist, help us save our parents.”
Tragically, the husband was released. But his wife died right in the kidnappers’ den, as her captors sexually assaulted her while her husband, bound and helpless, was forced to witness the attack. The assault continued until she lost consciousness.”
Last week, the body of a young man who was kidnapped on Ojo road , was recovered by members of the vigilante group.
Protests and rising anger
The community’s outrage erupted last Saturday when youths, mostly students dressed in black, marched through the streets in a protest resembling a funeral procession. Carrying a casket as a chilling symbol of lives cut short and hopes buried, they poured grief and anger onto the streets. Sirens wailed, tyres burned, and the protesters marched to the Onogie of Ekpoma’s palace in Eguare, Zaiki Abumere II. The demonstration turned violent as the palace was vandalized, including the Onogie’s wife’s shops, the palace hall, cars, canopies, and windows.
Reports also indicated that the livestock market was attacked and a truck carrying goats was looted. During the chaos, a livestock owner reportedly stabbed a protester, whose condition remains unknown.
Chimobi Ibechukwu, a protester, lamented: “Last night, a young boy was taken by 8pm, and by 11pm we heard he was dead. We saw the pictures of how he was murdered in cold blood. How can we live like this?”
Another student, Mary, added: “Fear has replaced peace. After 7pm, everybody is indoors. Even to sleep in your house now is frightening. The streets that once bustled with students are empty early, while anxiety hangs heavily over homes and hostels.”
A 200-level student, whose parents reside in Ekpoma, spoke through tears: “Ekpoma is bleeding. We need peace. We need security. Governor Okpebholo, this is not what you promised us. We are no longer free in our own land. Ekpoma used to be one of the most peaceful towns in Edo State, even in Nigeria. Governor, please come to our aid.”
A resident who echoed the students’ anguish added, “Virtually every week, someone is kidnapped. The government must step in and do something to save this land.”
The protest and the subsequent arrest of 58 students, some of whom were reportedly taken from their homes, sparked widespread outcry. Following public pressure, Governor Okpebholo ordered their release.
Defying the heightened tensions, kidnappers launched another attack just one day after the protests, targeting an area near the Emaudo campus road . The abduction was captured on a viral video showing the male victim arriving home in his car before three masked assailants sprang from the bush to seize him. While Saturday Vanguard confirmed his release on Thursday, community sources alleged it followed the payment of a N20 million ransom.
Onogie of Ekpoma
Efforts to reach the Onogie of Ekpoma, Zaiki Anthony Abumere II, for comments on measures taken to address insecurity before it escalated proved unsuccessful, as he was reportedly out of town when Saturday Vanguard called.
However, his Personal Assistant, Barrister Sunday Aigbibhalu, assured that the traditional ruler has never distanced himself from tackling insecurity in the community. He emphasized that the palace had continued to play a unifying and coordinating role among the various ethnic groups and security agencies, deliberately ensuring inclusiveness by giving representation to all major ethnic groups in Ekpoma.
He said: “The Onogie has never alienated himself from insecurity in the community. He ensures that all ethnic groups are represented in the palace: a Hausa Chief for the Hausas, an Igbo Chief for the Igbos, a Yoruba Chief for the Yorubas, and representatives for the Igbira people. Some people think he can simply order any group to leave, but this is Nigeria; a traditional ruler has no such power.”
Aigbibhalu added that as the security situation worsened, the monarch convened meetings of traditional rulers and stakeholders across Esanland and sometimes used personal funds to mobilise vigilantes.
“He also held a wider meeting of the five local governments in Esan, where stakeholders discussed the rising menace and suggested possible ways of tackling it. At the time the protesting students came to the palace, he was on his way to a security meeting in Ewato to address the matter,” he said.
Governor Okpebholo acts
Governor Monday Okpebholo condemned both the kidnappings and the subsequent violence, describing the acts as unacceptable, and vowed to bring all perpetrators to justice.
Referring to the latest kidnap, the Governor said: “Somebody came out of his car, entered his house, and was kidnapped. They did not even ask for ransom or make any demand. The kidnappers even covered their faces, and that is not the traditional way of the Fulani. It did not take long before the next day people came out with protests and looting. This is not acceptable. We must bring these people to book. The same way we are going after the kidnappers, we will go after anyone causing trouble. By the time we finish this operation, these things will stop completely,” he assured.
Military and helicopter surveillance
As a first step to tackle the menace, soldiers and policemen were deployed to Ekpoma, conducting thorough combing of the forests around the farm settlement areas. Saturday Vanguard reliably gathered that some camps used by kidnappers were discovered, with the culprits abandoning items such as plates, pots, and shoes suspected to belong to their captives, suggesting they fled upon sighting the security operatives. While ground forces combed the forests, helicopters, as confirmed by residents, hovered over the vast woodland. However, no arrests or rescues have been officially announced.
Kidnappers’ entry routes identified
As of Thursday, January 15, 2026, the heightened security presence has brought some measure of relief, but residents and members of vigilante groups continue to appeal to Governor Okpebholo to make the deployment of security forces in Ekpoma permanent.
A vigilante leader, speaking on condition of anonymity, highlighted the key entry and escape routes exploited by criminals. “The farm settlements and Emaudo Campus Road are the most affected areas, where kidnappers strike. They come through Egoro Road, Ekeke, and Elelo. Security operatives had previously raided a suspected kidnappers’ camp in Elelo twice, but the menace persists.”
Calling for urgent and strategic interventions, the vigilante said: “We appeal to the governor to make the deployment permanent. Emaudo Campus should be turned into a military base, while the police station on Egoro Road should be reopened. Meanwhile, soldiers should be stationed along Agric Road and Ukhun Road. Blocking these routes will cut off the kidnappers’ escape paths and restore peace. We cannot identify the culprits until one is arrested, so this is not the time to blame any tribe. Once these measures are in place, Ekpoma will be safer. We commend the Governor for sending soldiers and police here, but if he listens to this plea, the preventive measures will yield positive results.”
Call for urgent action
The community’s fear is that without sustained, strategic pressure, the kidnappers will simply return once the heightened security presence diminishes.
In conversations with many residents, both old and young, there was a consensus that if decisive action is not taken immediately, Ekpoma risks descending further into chaos, with families potentially forced to abandon their ancestral homes, as has happened in some northern communities. Security agencies, working closely with the state government, must act swiftly to seal escape routes, establish permanent bases at strategic flashpoints, and restore the confidence of residents and students alike.
Ekpoma, according to one resident, Idemudia Osemekhian, “cannot continue to bleed in silence. The lives, safety, and future of its people demand that this menace be confronted and eradicated once and for all.”
The post Ekpoma: From peaceful kingdoms to kidnap flashpoints appeared first on Vanguard News.
