Governor says criminals will have no safe haven as Edo South stakeholders meet over worsening security concerns
Edo State Governor, Senator Monday Okpebholo, has met with Okaigheles from the seven local government areas in Edo South, alongside security chiefs, vigilante groups, the Edo State Security Corps and other stakeholders, as part of efforts to strengthen the fight against insecurity across the state.
The meeting comes amid growing concerns over kidnapping, cultism and other criminal activities in parts of Edo State, with the governor saying his administration has put new strategies in place to improve security and ensure criminals have no safe haven.
Okpebholo said the security of lives and property remains a major priority of his administration, stressing that every life in Edo State matters and that the government will continue to take necessary steps to protect residents and communities.
The governor said the meeting brought together key community and security stakeholders in Edo South to strengthen cooperation and improve the collective response to security threats.
According to him, security cannot be left to government and security agencies alone, calling on community leaders and residents to work closely with security operatives by providing credible and timely information.
“Every life in Edo matters to us. As a government, we will continue to do everything necessary to protect our people and make our communities safer,” the governor said.
He stressed that the new security strategies would focus on improving rapid response to threats, tackling kidnapping and cultism and making it difficult for criminal elements to operate freely in the state.
The governor said criminals would no longer be allowed to find safe spaces within communities, warning that his administration would continue working with security agencies, local vigilante groups and community leaders to identify and confront criminal activities.
The inclusion of the Okaigheles in the security engagement is also seen as an important move, considering their influence and knowledge of communities across Edo South.
Community-based intelligence has continued to play a major role in the fight against crime, especially in the tracking of criminal suspects and the identification of hideouts and suspicious activities within local communities.
Okpebholo urged residents to support security agencies with useful information, maintaining that timely intelligence could help prevent crimes and save lives.
“Security is a collective responsibility,” the governor said, calling for stronger cooperation between the government, traditional and community leaders, vigilante groups and security agencies.
The meeting also involved security chiefs, the Edo State Security Corps and other relevant stakeholders, as the state government moves to develop a stronger and more coordinated security response.
The governor said his administration would not relent in its efforts to make Edo safer for residents, businesses and investors.
“We will not relent until Edo is safer for our people, businesses and investors,” he said.
The development signals a renewed push by the Edo State Government to confront insecurity through closer collaboration between government authorities, security agencies and grassroots community structures.
For many residents, however, the real test will be the impact of the new strategies on the ground.
As kidnapping, cultism and other forms of criminal activities remain serious concerns in some communities, residents will be looking to see stronger intelligence gathering, faster security response and sustained operations against criminal networks.
Governor Okpebholo’s meeting with the Okaigheles and other security stakeholders has now placed fresh attention on the role of local communities in the fight against insecurity.
The message from the Edo State Government is clear: the fight against crime will require the involvement of everyone.
With security chiefs, vigilante groups, the Edo State Security Corps, community leaders and Okaigheles now being brought into a broader security conversation, the government says it is determined to deny kidnappers, cultists and other criminal elements any room to operate.
The governor has promised that his administration will continue taking steps to protect lives, secure communities and create a safer Edo State.
IBN NEWS will continue to monitor developments surrounding the Edo State Government’s new security strategies and their impact across the state.
