The leadership and members of Edo Civil Society Organisations (EDOCSO) has urged Edo State government and security agencies to tackle the incessant and unabated kidnapping of citizens in different parts of the State, with caution on the State Governor, Monday Okpebholo to tone down awful political rhetoric for President Ahmed Bola Tinubu re-election ahead of 2027 general polls.
The non-partisan group, decried the surge in violent crimes, which is now consistently framed with real live consequences, and charged the Governor to concentrate more on securing the lives of Edo people with the monthly security votes being collected, else its members “will not fail to mobilize all our members and Edo people for a protest if no action is taken within the next 48 hours”.
The advice which is contained in a statement endorsed by Leftist Aliyu O. Umweni, Assistant Secretary General of EDOCSO, tasked Edo State government and all the security agencies in the State to wake up to their responsibilities and ensure lives and property of citizens are protected from the activities of the marauding kidnappers who seemed to have laid siege in different parts of the State in the unvirtuous act of killings and kidnappings for sport, which is nothing short of reprehensible.
“The State Governor should at this time bother less with the 2027 elections and concentrate more on securing the lives of Edo people with the monthly security votes being collected.
“The Nigeria Police Force should rejig its operations and focus more on violent crimes rather than the numerous road blocks mounted in short distances within Benin City metropolis which has become point of extortion and intimidation of citizens.
“The State government and the security agencies should take actions in securing the release those abducted by kidnappers and ensure no further activities of the kidnappers should be heard in Edo State. High-tech equipment should be procured and a special squad trained to go after these kidnappers.
“The most troubling duo incidents which took place on the 6th of September, 2025 wherein eight (8) personnel of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps got killed and a Chinese national abducted by the daredevil kidnappers and the abduction of all passengers on a bus belonging to the state government transport company is one too many.
“There have been reports of kidnapping activities in Orhionmwon, Ovia, Uhunmwonde, Akoko-edo, Auchi, Ikpoba Okha, Edo Central and parts of Oredo where the seat of government is domiciled”, according to EDOCSO, which is a coalition of civil rights groups spread across the 18 Local Government Areas of Edo State and Community-based formations in Nigeria.
