Tension has continued to rise in Imoga Community in Akoko-Edo Local Government Area of Edo State following a series of kidnappings, violent attacks, and the alleged activities of armed herders and bandits operating within the vast forests surrounding the community.
Residents of the agrarian community said they were forced to take collective action after years of repeated abductions, insecurity, and alleged criminal activities linked to suspected kidnappers and armed herders occupying several camps within the forests around Imoga.
According to community sources, the latest outrage began in February 2026 when eight persons were allegedly kidnapped and held captive inside the expansive Imoga forest. The abductors reportedly demanded a ransom of N100 million for their release.
The incident threw the community into panic and hardship as families and residents reportedly struggled for over two weeks to raise a huge sum to secure the freedom of the victims whose lives were said to have been under severe threat.
Residents lamented that kidnapping, banditry, and destructive open grazing have plagued Imoga and neighbouring communities for nearly a decade, worsening significantly since 2017. Many locals now allegedly regard parts of the forest as safe havens for kidnappers, ransom negotiators, and armed criminal elements.
Imoga, regarded as one of the largest communities by landmass in Akoko-Edo, shares boundaries with communities in both Edo and Kogi states, including Mangogo, Okengwen, Okehi, Adughe, Ibillo, Ekor, Kakumo, and Lampese. Its vast forest terrain has long posed security challenges for residents and security operatives.
Community members said the turning point came on April 18, 2026, following the arrest of two suspected kidnappers, identified as Smaila and another alleged gang member of Fulani origin. The suspects were reportedly apprehended after the kidnapping of one Mallam Jamila, a Hausa cattle trader based in Ibillo.
The suspects were said to have been handed over to the police in Ibillo before being transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department in Benin City for further investigation and possible prosecution.
The revelation reportedly shocked many residents, as the arrested suspects were said to be familiar faces within the community who moved freely among locals without suspicion.
Following the arrests, leaders and youths in Imoga reportedly resolved to demand the evacuation of all camps allegedly linked to criminal activities within the forests. Traditional Fulani settlers and camp leaders were summoned, after which community youths reportedly moved across the forest areas directing occupants of identified camps to vacate the area.
Residents described the exercise as peaceful and unprecedented, noting that there were no reported clashes, violence, or destruction during the evacuation process. According to eyewitnesses, many herders voluntarily dismantled their huts and moved out peacefully while community members supervised the process.
Sources claimed that more than twenty camps were evacuated between April 19 and May 6, 2026. However, the operation reportedly took a dramatic turn in areas located around the shared boundary between Imoga and neighbouring Ekor Community. Though both communities share close ancestral ties and speak the same Okpameri dialect, they operate under separate traditional institutions.
Residents alleged that some herders who initially vacated camps located around the Uma-Ekor axis later sought temporary refuge at Ekor before returning days later to rebuild the dismantled camps. The development further heightened tensions within the area.
Meanwhile, another controversy emerged on May 8, 2026, when a resident of Imoga, identified as Mr. Monday Jaho, reportedly in his sixties, was arrested over allegations linked to the destruction of property in one of the affected Fulani camps.
Sources said Jaho had travelled to Ibillo to purchase a cow for the burial ceremony of his late elder brother before he was apprehended and taken to the Police Area Command in Igarra.
Community members, however, commended the Area Commander, ACP Peter Gana for what they described as a fair and unbiased handling of the matter. Jaho was later granted bail while investigations reportedly continued.
The Area Commander was also said to have appealed to the traditional rulers and leaders of both communities to maintain peace and work towards preventing further escalation of tensions.
Despite ongoing investigations and peace efforts, tragedy reportedly struck again on the evening of Sunday May 10, 2026, when suspected armed herders allegedly attacked parts of the outskirts of Imoga injuring unsuspecting residents.
The latest attack has thrown the community into mourning and renewed fears over worsening insecurity in the area. Concerned residents are now calling on the Nigeria Police Force, the Nigerian Army, the Department of State Services, local vigilante groups, and the government of Edo State to urgently intervene and launch coordinated security operations across the forests surrounding Imoga and neighbouring communities.
Reacting to the disturbing developments, the Oselo of Okpameri, Chief Victor Arogunyo, strongly condemned the escalating attacks on the people of Imoga allegedly carried out by Fulani herders. He confirmed reports of the latest attacks on the community, noting that they were connected to the renewed wave of insecurity that has gripped the entire Akoko Edo Local Government Area over the past one month.
Speaking on the urgency of the situation, Chief Arogunyo called on the Federal Government to urgently deploy forest guards to the vast forests surrounding Imoga and other border communities such as Ososo. He observed that despite its location as a border town the Imoga, community has become increasingly vulnerable due to the absence of basic security infrastructure, including a police post.
He also appealed to Governor Monday Okpebholo to introduce helicopter aerial surveillance and drone monitoring across Akoko-Edo Local Government Area, similar to measures previously deployed in other parts of the state, which reportedly helped to reduce incidents of kidnapping in those areas. Furthermore, he urged the local government council, as the closest tier of government to the people, to immediately deploy armed vigilantes and local hunters to strengthen security within the community.
By: Omonofa Israel