Tension is high among residents and travelers across Edo State as kidnappers appear to have laid siege on the state amid government’s efforts to curb the menace.
Edo, like other states in the country, is grappling with rising incidents of kidnapping, cultism and killer herdsmen who continue to terrorise parts of the state.
Visitors and travelers through the state now do so with fear following recent reports of hoodlums abducting passengers in broad daylight into forests before calling their families and loved ones to demand ransom.
On September 5, a fully loaded bus of the state-owned transport company was attacked along the Benin-Akure road.
The 18 passengers were taken at gunpoint into a thick forest. A few days after, reports said six of the victims were released after their families paid a staggering N60 million ransom.
It was learned that the ransom was picked up at a popular commercial bank located along Akpakpava Road in Benin City. The state police command confirmed that the six victims were held hostage until their families delivered the ransom.
Speaking to LEADERSHIP Sunday, the victims, Sandra Omoregie, Ruth Igbinovia, Glory Ehizokhake, Kingsley Obasohan, Samu Uwagboe, and Grace Okaighe said the ransom was collected by a man identified as Mr. Abu, who acted as the gang’s point man and maintained direct communication with their families throughout the negotiations.
Kingsley Obasohan lashed out at security agencies, especially the police.
He said, “It’s unfortunate that Nigeria has descended into an abyss of no return with the security agencies, particularly the Nigeria Police Force’s total failure to rescue and save citizens.
“I’m shocked that at this time and age, kidnappers are moving freely in our forests and even in Benin City in broad daylight, making ransom calls and moving around with registered car plate numbers, while the police are only content with harassing yahoo boys on the streets.”
Two days before the kidnap, eight operatives of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) were ambushed and killed by suspected kidnappers at Okpella, also in Edo State.
The attack also left four other operatives critically injured; while one Chinese national was rescued unhurt. Also in March this year, some Catholic seminarians and Rev. Father Andrew Peter were abducted while Father Philip Ekweli was murdered by abductors.
Shortly after the abduction, the Bishop of Auchi Diocese, Bishop Gabriel Dunja, cried to the state and federal governments as well as security agencies to help stop the deteriorating security situation in Edo North and other parts of the state.
“People are no longer safe on the roads, on their farms and even in their homes. This is unacceptable when there are elected officials whose duty it is to protect the people,” he said.
As Governor Monday Okpebholo’s government braces up to the challenges of insecurity and cult-related killings, especially in the metropolitan City of Benin, rival confraternity cult groups engaged in a bloody conflicts which have claimed over 100 lives in the last few months.
The confraternity war also spread to parts of Edo communities hitherto grappling with communal crises occasioned by land grabbing and cult-related violence. Affected communities like Oghede, Ogheghe, Obagie, among others, witnessed wanton killings and arson, further compounding insecurity in the state.
Okpebholo Tightens The Noose
When Governor Monday Okpebholo assumed duty as governor in November 2024, the state faced escalating insecurity, ranging from kidnapping and cult-related violence to armed robbery and illegal land grabbing. Kidnapping and attacks on farmers in several parts of the state led many farmers to abandon their farmlands.
Tackling the menace, the administration launched an array of proactive measures, part of which was upgraded security infrastructure, including procuring Hilux vehicles, motorcycles and communication gadgets to improve surveillance and rapid response in remote areas.
Okpebholo said, “We promised our people during the campaign that we would fight insecurity and restore peace to every part of Edo State. Today, we are fulfilling that promise. These bikes will be deployed across the senatorial districts and will help security agencies reach areas where vehicles cannot go. Let me be clear, criminals must leave Edo State.”
To also stiffen the consequences of crime and with legal framework and enforcement, the government has enacted new tough laws.
In June, it passed a landmark legislation including the Secret Cult and Similar Activities (Prohibition) Law, 2025 and amended the Kidnapping Prohibition Law.
Government also rejuvenated the Edo State Security Corps with boosted operational capacity.
Recently, at a security meeting in Edo North attended by religious, traditional and political leaders, the governor pledged to maintain security and solicited more performance from his advisers.
In a dialogue with the state judiciary, he underscored the necessity of a strong legal system to back his zero‑tolerance posture against insecurity.
“There is a fight against cultism, and I am taking it very seriously. I need your cooperation. These crimes are a major setback to our economic development. We must bring them down so we can feel safe again, our children can invest here, and their investments will be protected,” he said.
A resident of Benin City, Iduozee Iguodalo, said, “Governor Monday Okpebholo’s tenure has been characterised by rapid mobilisation, legal reform, and operational innovation, he has reshaped the state’s security architecture.”
Also in an effort to complement security agencies, the state security outfit code-named Operation Flush out Cultists and Kidnappers has renewed onslaught against criminality.
The operation covers Ovia North-East, Esan North-East, Esan West and Esan South-East local government areas of the state.
Operatives have recovered weapons in communities, including Osa-Somba and Idunwingie in Ovia North-East. Officials said the discoveries point to the entrenched use of local armoury by kidnappers operating in the region.
A member of the outfit, Mr. Eribo Emwanta, disclosed that in Ugboha forest, operatives discovered abandoned camps suspected to have been used as kidnapping hideouts.
Another member, Idemudia Noah, said the team was deploying drones, military personnel and advanced surveillance in its relentless pursuit of kidnappers.
“We received distress calls from Ugboha people reporting kidnapping incidents, and we responded with massive combing of the forests. This administration is determined to ensure Edo is too unsafe for criminals. The message is clear: criminals must leave the state or face decisive action,” Noah said.
A coalition of civil society organisations in the state
said though insecurity is a national problem, the state government had demonstrated capacity to respond to these issues and keep the people safe.
As residents continue to express concern over the spate of insecurity, the expectation among the people is to see government’s intervention yielding the desired results.
