Edo: Okpebholo Fumes As Renewed Cult Clash Causes Tension, Death

By Ayodele Oni

Following the latest clash between two rival cult groups,  Edo State Governor, Monday Okpebholo, has ordered security agencies to move decisively to curtail criminal activities in the State.

This was made public on Tuesday via a statement by Bugie Okhuemoi, the Special Adviser, Media and Publicity to the Governor.

The statement reads: “The Edo State Government is deeply concerned about the resurgence of cult-related violence in some parts of the state.

“It is important to recall that following earlier disturbances last year, Governor Monday Okpebholo, among several proactive steps taken, convened personally and through his agents series of critical meetings with the known leaders of groups suspected to be involved in these criminal activities.

“At those meetings, firm agreements were reached: they were to rein in their members and take full responsibility for their conduct. The Governor made it abundantly clear that the State would no longer tolerate the senseless killing of our youth and the destabilization of our communities.

“Regrettably, recent developments indicate that some individuals and groups have chosen to defy that understanding. Governor Okpebholo has therefore directed security agencies to move in decisively.

“Those who have tested the will of the State will face the full weight of the Edo State Anti-Cultism and Kidnapping Law. There will be no sacred cows.

“This administration remains unshaken in its commitment to rid Edo State of cultism, criminality, and all threats to peace and order. We urge all law-abiding residents to remain calm and continue with their daily activities. The security agencies are fully mobilized and working around the clock to restore and maintain peace.

“The Okpebholo administration is determined to build a safe, stable, and prosperous Edo State — and no amount of intimidation or criminal defiance will stand in the way of that goal.”

Report revealed that two  rival cult groups, Aye and Maphite Confraternities, reignited their battle for dominance, resulting in the deaths of at least 15 people in Benin.

This resurgence of violence occurs just three months after Edo State Governor, Senator Monday Okpebholo, signed the Secret Cult Prohibition Bill into law, which imposes a 21-year prison sentence on cult members and their sponsors.

The renewed cult war reportedly began on Friday, with the killing of a physiotherapist named Alex and another person near the back gate of the University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH) in Ugbowo, Benin.

In what appeared to be a retaliatory attack on the same Friday, two suspected cult members were reportedly shot at a well-known restaurant on Sapele Road in Benin by unidentified gunmen, triggering a wave of cult-related killings across the city.

Other reported incidents include the killing of an alleged cultist on Upper Forestry Road, and the deaths of two people at 2nd East Circular and Upper Sokponba Road by the bypass on Saturday.