•Governor Monday Okpebholo
In a move to combat rising insecurity in Edo State, Governor Monday Okpebholo has commenced the demolition of properties linked to kidnapping and cult-related violence, vowing to bring sponsors and collaborators to justice.
According to a statement by the Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Mr Fred Itua, state officials on Monday, oversaw the demolition of a residential duplex in Benin City.
The building, according to authorities, was the site of a gruesome kidnapping and organ harvesting operation, reports Channels TV.
The suspect, who was recently arrested in Lagos, is expected to be extradited to Edo to face prosecution.
“This building was where the crime occurred,” Mr Itua told journalists during the exercise.
“It is owned by the father of the suspect, who has since made useful statements to the authorities. His Excellency has made it clear that this is only the beginning.
“More properties used for criminal activities will be brought down in accordance with laws enacted by the current administration,” he added.
In addition to the demolished house, the state government has sealed off a hotel and an unnamed event centre, both allegedly used by cult groups as meeting points before launching deadly attacks.
“This is not a political witch-hunt,” Itua stressed, countering claims of political motivation behind the operation.
“These buildings were used for acts that contravene the laws of Edo State. The governor has said unequivocally that anyone involved in cultism or related crimes will face the full weight of the law,” he stated.
According to the statement, the owner of the demolished building recounted how he discovered the horrifying crime tied to his son.
“On the 23rd of this month, while I was returning home, my wife called to tell me that our son had murdered a woman in his quarters.
“I immediately alerted the police, who followed me home and conveyed the corpse to the mortuary. I’ve been in police custody ever since,” he was quoted as saying.
He described his son as deeply troubled and a longstanding source of concern.
“I trained him from primary school through university in Ekpoma. For over 10 years, he has been difficult. I took him to rehab, neuropsychiatric centres, and even traditional healers,” he said.
“He rarely slept at home, drank heavily, and would go missing for days. Now he has destroyed everything I worked for. This house was my retirement plan. Watching it being pulled down is heartbreaking,” he added.
The suspect was said to have been apprehended in Lagos with human body parts recovered from him, though investigations are ongoing.
The statement said Governor Okpebholo’s administration affirmed that it remained committed to dismantling criminal networks and sending a strong message to cultists, kidnappers, and their enablers.
