The Edo State Police Command has arrested a 50-year-old man, Nicholas Nusa, over the alleged abduction and sexual abuse of five female children in Akoko-Edo Local Government Area of the state.

The command said it received information on September 12, 2026, about the alleged abduction of the children from communities around the Ibillo/Imoga axis of Akoko-Edo.

According to the police, Nusa was subsequently arrested following police intervention.

The command’s spokesperson, ASP Eno Ikoedem, said in a statement issued on behalf of the Commissioner of Police, Patrick Daaor, that preliminary investigations indicated that the children had been sexually abused.

Police further alleged that one of the victims became pregnant and went into early labour. She reportedly underwent surgery but lost the baby.

The police said the five children had since been reunited with their families, while the suspect would be charged to court after the conclusion of investigations.

Further reports identified Nusa as the overseer of Divine Grace Church along Imoga Road, Ibillo. Police said the girls were allegedly taken from Ibillo and Imoga communities at different times between September 2025 and April 2026 and brought to the suspect’s residence.

The police have not disclosed detailed circumstances surrounding each alleged abduction or the identities and ages of all five victims.

The case forms part of a wider set of arrests announced by the Edo State Police Command following intelligence-led operations conducted over the past week.

The command said it arrested 10 suspects in connection with violent crimes, neutralised one suspected kidnapper and recovered an AK-47 rifle, 10 rounds of 7.62mm ammunition, a Beretta pistol and 14 rounds of 9mm ammunition during the period.

The police said investigations into the allegations against Nusa are ongoing and that further legal action would follow after investigators complete their work.