… As Police arrest 2 notorious cultists in Rivers, recover arms
By Tracy Ohovwere
A newly formed security squad launched by Governor Monday Okpebholo has arrested over 20 suspects in Benin City during its first major operation targeting cultists, kidnappers, and drug traffickers.
Codenamed ‘Operation Flush Out Kidnappers and Cultists,’ the initiative marked the squad’s debut enforcement action.
The operation focused on several notorious black spots in the city, including Isiohor, Iguosa, Oluku, Ibiwe, and Lagos Street, locations long considered havens for violent crime and drug activity.
The operation, carried out by a multi-agency team comprising the military, Police, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), hunters, local vigilantes, and repentant cultists, led to the seizure of weapons, hard drugs, and other incriminating materials.
John Adewale Eseikhaigbe, a member of the squad, described the raid as a decisive move against crime in Edo, crediting Governor Okpebholo for initiating the crackdown.
He said the squad was acting on a clear directive from the governor, who had vowed that the recent surge in killings and kidnappings in the state must be halted.
“Since the governor made it clear that the recent killings in Edo State must stop, we have taken up this mandate to rid our streets of cultists, kidnappers, and drug traffickers,” he said.
“This is a sustained operation, and we are determined to make the state safe for residents and investors alike.”
Eseikhaigbe also noted the interconnectedness of many violent crimes, explaining that cultism, drug trafficking, and kidnapping often overlap in terms of networks and operations, hence the need for a broad and coordinated response.
As part of the operation, a hotel in the Isiohor area was sealed off after it was identified as a suspected hideout for criminal gangs.
Speaking on the development, another taskforce member, Eribo Emwanta, said that the move was not targeted at any individual, but was meant to promote accountability.
“This is not about witch-hunting anyone. It’s about accountability. We want to understand why such a place became a haven for drug dealers and cultists,” he said.
Amielemen Idemudia Noah, another participant in the operation, said the governor’s determination was already making an impact.
“We thank the governor for his bold leadership. He is clearly pained by the recent wave of violence and is committed to ending it,” he said.
