‘We’ll hang them publicly at Ring Road’ — Gov Okpebholo warns after Edo kidnap arrests
Edo State Governor, Senator Monday Okpebholo, has issued a final warning to criminal elements operating within the state, vowing that his administration will enforce the death penalty by public hanging for convicted kidnappers.
The governor made the declaration as part of a renewed, aggressive offensive against a sudden surge in violent crimes, including kidnapping and cultism, which he alleges are being politically weaponised by opposition elements.
The stern warning coincides with a massive joint security crackdown that led to the demolition of several kidnappers’ dens and the arrest of a notorious kidnap kingpin alongside six syndicate members in the Uromi axis of the state.
Okpebholo vows ‘No mercy for bandits’
Addressing party stakeholders and security operatives during a security briefing in Benin City, Governor Okpebholo emphasised that the state’s anti-kidnapping laws would be enforced to the letter without political bias or mercy.
He warned that the era of treating violent criminals with kid gloves was entirely over, stating that any daredevil kidnapper caught and convicted under state law would face capital punishment.
“We are strengthening our laws against cultism and kidnapping. Let it be clear to these criminals that we will not hesitate to hang them publicly to serve as a deterrent to others. Edo State will no longer be a safe haven for bandits.”
In tandem with the death penalty enforcement, the governor issued a strict directive to landlords across the 18 Local Government Areas, warning that any building, warehouse, or hotel linked to criminal activities—such as housing kidnap victims, cult initiation rites, or ritual killings—will be immediately demolished by the state government.
Kingpin arrested, hideouts demolished
Proving that the administration’s warnings are backed by direct tactical action, the Edo State Security Corps, in a joint intelligence-led operation with the local Esan Awareness Security Outfit, successfully neutralised a major kidnapping syndicate operating around Uwesan and Uromi in Esan North-East LGA.
The operation yielded significant breakthroughs:
Security operatives arrested a notorious kidnap kingpin along with six key members of his gang responsible for a string of recent highway abductions.
Following the arrests, state authorities immediately deployed heavy machinery to completely level identified criminal hideouts and properties used by the syndicate in Illeh (Esan West) and Uromi.
In an unprecedented administrative move, the state government also took disciplinary action by dethroning local traditional rulers suspected of complicity or turning a blind eye to kidnapping operations within their domains.
Vigilantes integrated into state service
To ensure sustained pressure on criminals, Governor Okpebholo announced structural reforms to the state’s internal security architecture.
Local vigilante groups and community security outfits are currently being reorganised, with plans underway to fully integrate them into the mainstream civil service structure for better funding, equipping, and accountability.
While reassuring residents that the state is under full administrative control, the governor urged members of the public to remain vigilant and cooperate with security agencies by reporting suspicious movements or strange cohabitants within their neighbourhoods.
Read Also: CCTV captures dramatic abduction at Vegetable Market in Edo (Watch)
