Edo State Governor Monday Okpebholo has escalated the fight against cultism and kidnapping by sealing additional properties belonging to suspected cult leaders.
The actions are part of a coordinated campaign, “Operation Flush Out Cultists and Kidnappers,” led by Idemudia Noah in collaboration with various security agencies.
During an operation in the Egbaen community, Egor Local Government Area, the team, acting on intelligence, raided a building where they discovered a white casket and other fetish items.
These items are believed to have been used for initiation rituals. The building, allegedly owned by one Marvellous Adetarami, was immediately sealed as part of a broader effort to dismantle the infrastructure that supports cult activities in the state.
The security squad also extended its crackdown to the Evboyare community in Uhunmwode Local Government Area, where a recent cult clash resulted in the death of a man identified as Festus. There, the team sealed the residence of an alleged Maphite cult leader, Felix Aigbedion, who has been implicated in the fatal clash.
According to Idemudia Noah, the violence in the community has caused many families to flee their homes. The operation also led to the recovery of two locally made firearms from a poultry house.
In a statement after the operation, Noah emphasized the governor’s firm commitment to ending cult-related violence.
“The administration of Governor Monday Okpebholo is unwavering in its determination to purge Edo State of cult-related violence and criminal syndicates,” he stated.
He added that the sealing of the properties of both Aigbedion and Adetarami is not a symbolic gesture but a clear message that criminal activities will no longer be tolerated in the state.
