Edo State Governor Monday Okpebholo
Edo State Government has moved into full security mode after a viral video surfaced online showing a self-proclaimed bandit threatening attacks around Ekpoma and neighbouring communities.
In response, Governor Monday Okpebholo has ordered round-the-clock surveillance across major highways and vulnerable communities.
His Chief Press Secretary, Fred Itua, announced the directive in a statement issued in Benin on Wednesday.
Following the governor’s order, multiple security formations—including the Department of State Services, Nigerian Army, Police, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, local vigilante groups and the Edo Special Security Squad—have launched coordinated operations in forests, boundary communities and known flashpoints across the state.
Assuring residents that the government is firmly in control, the statement noted:
“The attention of the Edo Government has been drawn to a trending video circulating on social media.
“The video featured a self-acclaimed bandit issuing threats and claiming presence around Ekpoma and adjoining communities in Edo Central Senatorial District.”
Itua said Governor Okpebholo has treated security as non-negotiable since taking office, stressing that he “has left no stone unturned in confronting emerging threats.”
The statement revealed that, for weeks, the governor has been holding strategic security meetings and reinforcing a surveillance system that now covers major transport corridors, including the Benin–Auchi Expressway, Ekpoma–Uromi Road, Ehor–Iruekpen axis, Benin Bypass, Ewu–Irua–Ubiaja route and the Benin–Afuze–Auchi corridor.
“These measures are designed to ensure early detection, swift response, and sustained pressure against criminal networks,” Itua explained.
He added that security agencies are already conducting “search-and-comb missions,” supported by heightened intelligence gathering and joint patrols aimed at denying criminals hiding places anywhere in the state.
According to him, the intensified operations are yielding results, with arrests already made in connection with recent security breaches and several leads under active investigation.
Itua stressed that the crackdown would continue “until every inch of Edo land – urban centres, rural communities, and transit corridors – is fully secured and safe for residents, commuters, and investors.”
He urged citizens to stay calm but alert, cooperate with security operatives, and avoid sharing misinformation, panic-inducing messages, or unverified videos.
The statement reaffirmed that Governor Okpebholo remains unwavering in his commitment to protecting lives and property, adding that the administration “will continue to deploy all lawful measures to ensure that criminality has no space in the state.”
