Gunmen have abducted Pa Joseph Iduoriyekemwen, a 90-year-old man and father of the African Democratic Congress candidate for the Edo South Senatorial District, after reportedly invading his residence in the Amagba area of Benin City, Edo State.
Iduoriyekemwen was reportedly taken from his home in the early hours of Tuesday, October 6, 2026, with the assailants fleeing the area with the elderly man.
Details surrounding the incident were still sketchy as of the time of filing this report. However, security agencies were said to have commenced efforts aimed at locating the victim and securing his safe release.
The abduction has generated widespread concern, particularly because of the victim’s relationship with a serving political candidate. Some members of the public have consequently raised the possibility that the incident could be connected to political interests, although no official evidence had established such a motive.
According to The Leadership, Edo State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Hon. Kassim Afegbua, denounced the incident in a statement, describing the abduction as “morally reprehensible.” He also rejected suggestions that the state government could have been involved, cautioning that such claims might undermine ongoing security operations. “What could possibly be the motivation for anyone to abduct such a father and grandfather?” Afegbua said.
The commissioner further questioned the basis for allegations linking government officials to the incident. He disclosed that Governor Monday Okpebholo had instructed security agencies to combine their efforts in securing the immediate release of the 90-year-old victim.
Afegbua also pointed to recent judicial action against kidnapping in the state, noting that a special court established to prosecute kidnapping cases in Edo had recently sentenced four convicted kidnappers to death.
He described the latest incident as a “huge slap in the face” to the state’s ongoing anti-crime campaign. The commissioner urged anyone who might have useful information concerning Iduoriyekemwen’s location to promptly provide it to security authorities, stressing that the government remained committed to safeguarding residents across the state irrespective of their political affiliations.
