The Edo State Police Command has ordered the immediate deployment of tactical teams to Agenebode, Etsako East Local Government Area, following the abduction of three seminarians from the Immaculate Conception Junior Seminary, Ivianokpodi.
The incident occurred on Wednesday night, July 10, 2025, when suspected kidnappers stormed the seminary, killing a personnel of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Chris Awenegiemhe, and abducting three students.
Command spokesperson, Moses Yamu, said in a statement on Saturday that operatives from the Anti-Kidnapping and Intelligence units have been sent to the area. The deployment, he noted, is aimed at ensuring the safe rescue of the abducted seminarians and the arrest of the attackers.
Yamu said the tactical teams would work closely with other security agencies, local vigilantes, and hunters to carry out the operation.
The Commissioner of Police, Monday Agbonika, who visited the scene of the attack, described the abduction as a “barbaric and senseless” assault on a religious institution and on innocent students. He offered condolences to the NSCDC, the Catholic Diocese of Auchi, and the affected families.
The police assured the public of their full commitment to bringing the criminals to justice and called on residents to support the operation with credible information that could aid the rescue mission.
This latest attack highlights the ongoing security challenges in Edo State, particularly the threat of kidnappers targeting schools and religious centres.