The Edo State Special Security Squad has arrested 12 suspected cultists and sealed off two apartments allegedly being used for cult initiation activities in Benin City following renewed violence linked to cult-related clashes in the state. The operation came shortly after the killing of a student near the gate of the University of Benin, an incident that heightened tension across parts of the city.
According to reports, the coordinated raids were carried out across several identified hotspots in Benin City, including Ekosodin, Isihor, Airport Road, Old Road off S&T Barracks, 19th Street Ugbowo, Ogba-Evbuodia, and Evbuomore Quarters. The operations were led by the Chief Security Officer and Principal Security Officer to Edo State Governor, Monday Okpebholo, as authorities intensified efforts to dismantle cult networks operating within the state.
Speaking to journalists after the raids, the spokesperson for the security squad, Noah Idemudia, disclosed that the arrests were directly connected to investigations surrounding the recent killing. He also revealed that the authorities sealed two apartments suspected to have been used as centres for cult initiation and criminal meetings. ..READ THE FULL ARTICLE HERE .
Idemudia further accused some community youth leaders, popularly known as Okaigheles, of allegedly harbouring criminals and aiding violent activities within parts of Edo State. He claimed intelligence gathered by security operatives suggested that some of the sophisticated weapons used in attacks across Benin City were being sourced from certain communities allegedly linked to cult activities.
The latest arrests add to the growing crackdown on cultism and violent crimes in Edo State in recent months. Security agencies have repeatedly launched raids targeting suspected members of confraternities such as Aye and Vikings, especially after several deadly clashes and killings reported across Benin City and other parts of the state.
Authorities have continued to express concern over the increasing activities of cult groups, warning that the government would sustain aggressive security operations against criminal networks threatening public safety. Governor Okpebholo’s administration has repeatedly vowed to restore peace and clamp down on cult-related violence that has unsettled residents and students in parts of Edo State.
