Secret Cult Killings, Homicide Incidents Dropping In Edo - Gov Obaseki ~ OsazuwaAkonedo ##Jefferson #Benin #cult #Cultists #edo #Godwin #Iwo #Nemi #news #Obaseki #Okaigheles #Okomu #Secret #soldiers #Uwoghiren https://osazuwaakonedo.online/secret-cult-killings-homicide-incidents-dropping-in-edo-gov-obaseki/22/08/2024 #news Published: August 22nd, 2024 Reshared: August 22, 2024 10:09 pm Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki has said the rate of secret cult related killings and
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00:00Edo State Governor Godwin Obaseki has said the rate of secret cult-related killings and homicide
00:05incidents in the state has dropped since he created a special task force to fight the menaces.
00:11Governor Obaseki stated this after the State Security Council meeting where the new
00:15commissioner of police deployed to the state was in attendance at government house in Benin City.
00:21In a Facebook post, Governor Obaseki said,
00:24Since the establishment of the special task force against cultism in the state,
00:28we have recorded a drastic reduction in incidents of cultism and homicide by as much as 60% between
00:35May and July. From August to date, a similar trend is being observed. Many arrests have
00:41been made and we are sure that prosecutions will commence shortly. Relevant authorities
00:46have assured us that, based on the evidence gathered so far, we should be able to secure
00:51convictions. I provided this update after our Security Council meeting where we reviewed the
00:57security situation. We also welcomed our new commissioner of police, Demi Edwiniwu, who
01:03resumed duty last week and attended the meeting for the first time. In a news release, the government
01:09house press unit said the special task force headed by the director of the Department of
01:14State Service, DSS, was set up in May 2024 to review and address every cult-related incident
01:20in the state. The press unit said Obaseki, on Wednesday, said the incidents dropped from
01:26129 in May when the team was set up to 79 in June and 50 in July. The governor spoke while
01:33briefing journalists after the monthly Security Council meeting held at the Exco Chamber in
01:38Government House, Benin City, the Edo State Capital. Obaseki, who also welcomed the new
01:44commissioner of police in the state, Sipinemi Edwiniwu, who is attending the Security Council
01:50meeting for the first time, said the government will sustain the collaboration with the police
01:55and other security agencies to ensure peace and security in the state. The governor said,
02:01we just finished the Security Council meeting where we reviewed the security situation in Edo State.
02:07We welcomed our new commissioner of police, Demi Edwiniwu, who resumed duty last week
02:12and is attending the Security Council meeting for the first time. We used the opportunity to
02:18also review our monthly incident report and observed that the incidents of cultism and
02:22homicide have reduced drastically since we set up the committee on cultism. In fact, we saw the
02:28total incidents drop from the 79 reported last month, June, to 50 in the month of July. You will
02:35recall that the committee was set up in May when the total incidents had risen to an all-time high
02:40of 129 cases of crime for the month of May, mainly driven by cultism, homicide, and drugs.
02:48Since that committee swung into action, we have seen remarkable success. The incidents dropped
02:54from 129 in May to 79 in June and to a further 50 incidents in July. For the still-dead, we have
03:01also seen a similar trend. Korbaceki added, many arrests have been made and we are assuring that
03:07we will commence prosecution. We were assured by the relevant authorities that from evidence gathered
03:13so far, we should be able to secure prosecutions. On this path, the police commissioner called for
03:19the collaboration of all stakeholders to sustain peace and security in the state. He noted, we have
03:25to key into the success being recorded in the state by making sure that we collectively ensure
03:30that there is peace in the state. I call on the good people of Edo State and my sister security
03:36agencies, including the military, to give the necessary support to ensure that there is peace
03:40in the state. We have discussed at length on how to sustain peace and security in the state and
03:46this will be carried out successfully without any problems. Addressing secret cult-related killings
03:52in Edo State, earlier in the year, we reported that the Edo State governor, Godwin Korbaceki,
03:58has said that the many traditional youth leaders known as Oka Igeles and secret cult members in
04:03Edo State were building up arms in the Edo South Senatorial District. The governor disclosed this
04:09when he received the General Officer Commanding, JOC, 2 Division, Nigerian Army, Major General
04:16Obina Onubogu, who was on a courtesy visit at the government's house, Benin City, according to
04:22Channel's television. Governor Korbaceki had early in the month of June 2024 banned the activities of
04:29the traditional youth leaders, Oka Igeles, and set up task force to tackle the menace of the youth
04:34leaders and secret cult members. They ran on the activities of the Oka Igeles state controversies
04:40among some natives of the state with some insisting that the governor has no power to ban the agilong
04:45tradition of Oka Igeles. In an earlier statement issued on June 3, 2024, Governor Korbaceki said,
04:52we have decided to go full blast against cultists and cultism in the state and have now passed an
04:58anti-cultism law that will be implemented to its fullest. Additionally, we have banned the
05:03activities of Oka Igeles youth leaders in the Edo South Senatorial District of the state.
05:10These were some of the decisions reached after the Security Council meeting with service chiefs
05:14in the state where we reviewed the security situation in Edo state since January 2024
05:20with particular emphasis on the security activities in May. Council has set up a special task force
05:27headed by the Director of DSS that will review every cult-related occurrence in the state.
05:33We have declared full war on cultists and Oka Igeles in Edo state. After the meeting,
05:38we launched patrol Siena buses and motorcycles to strengthen the state's joint security operations.
05:45Channel's television reported that the Edo state governor, Godwin Obaseki, has vowed
05:50that the state government will collaborate with security agencies to flush out criminal
05:55gangs in the state. According to Obaseki, the state government will not accept a similar
06:00incident that happened in the Okomu area where Oka Igeles and militant groups shot at soldiers.
06:06The military has been of great support to our security efforts in Edo state.
06:12The brigade commander is a member of our state security council and they have provided tremendous
06:17backup and support to the other security agencies in the state, Governor Obaseki said.
06:22Last week, we had an unfortunate incident in the Okomu area where militants and some community
06:27youths shot at some soldiers. Unfortunately, there was no casualty. We are going after all
06:33those that were involved in the incident. We will not accept the level of arms build-up by cultists
06:39and Oka Igeles in Edo state and Edo state government wants to reiterate that with the
06:43backing of the military, we will go after criminal gangs who are constituting a nuisance in Edo state
06:49and building up arms in our state to terrorize citizens. He added, I thank the GOC for the
06:55assurance and support to our security efforts in Edo state and assuring you that our government
07:01will always work closely with the military and other security agencies and provide the needed
07:06support to all state and federal security agencies to enable us to perform our duties as a government
07:12to protect lives and property of Edo citizens. On his part, the general officer commanding
07:18to the division, Nigerian army, Major General Obina Onubogu, thanked the governor, noting,
07:25I thank the governor for the frank discussion we had concerning security in Edo state.
07:30I am here to thank the governor for the support he has given to us in the discharge of our duties
07:35in safeguarding the federation, particularly the people in Edo state. He further noted,
07:41we have had recent clashes where a few misguided youths have attacked our men.
07:46This is quite unacceptable. I have conveyed that to his excellency.
07:50Going forward, we are hoping such incidents will not occur again and if it does occur,
07:55we will take decisive actions to stop all criminals who attempt to thwart the activities
08:00of the army and other security agencies within Edo state. We will continue to work with the
08:06people and the state government to ensure things remain calm in the state. I also visited the
08:11Oba of Benin where I also conveyed this message and he reassured me that the people will work
08:16with us towards safety and security in the state. We are glad that all sectors in the state,
08:21be it government and traditional, are working towards the same purpose.
08:26We hope to see peace and safety continue in the state, Channels Television reports and in quotes.
08:32Reacting to the ban of Okailos, Barista Jefferson Uwo Giehen had said that
08:36our traditional Okaile cannot be banned because we are all Igalis.
08:41The government's reported ban is directed at all the political Oka-Igalis who simply
08:45transmitted from CDA youth leaders to Oka-Igalis when the law setting of private property protection
08:51banned their activities. The Oka-Igalis of Edo South, especially from communities
08:56surrounding Benin City, with their private armies of well-armed cretins, are unarguably
09:01the major causes of land insecurity, pre-gendry, assassinations, assaults, communal strikes,
09:08underdevelopment, lawlessness and unending litigations in Edo South of Edo State.
09:14Working in close concerts with Solis lawyers, surveyors, security agents, judicial officers
09:20and in fact politicians, they are the kamkawums eating Benin Nation raw and
09:25inflamed sites, Jefferson Uwo Giehen once read and quoted verbatim.
09:29Satuwa Onnedo bringing youth the news in a more digital way.