Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki has said that the Bini traditional youths leaders known as Okaigheles and secret cult members in Edo state are building up arms in the Edo South Senatorial district.

The governor disclosed this when he received the General Officer Commanding (GOC), 2 Division, Nigerian Army, Major General Obinna Onubogu, who was on a courtesy visit at the Government House, Benin City on Friday, according to Channels Television.

Governor Obaseki had early in the month of June, 2024 banned the activities of the traditional youths leaders, Okaigheles and set up taskforce to tackle the menace of the youths leaders and secret cult members. The ban on the activities of the Okaigheles has stirred controversies among some natives of the state with some insisting that the governor has no power to ban the age long tradition of Okaigheles.

In earlier statement issued on June 3, 2024, Governor Obaseki said: “We have decided to go full blast against cultists and cultism in the State and have now passed an anti-cultism law that will be implemented to its fullest.

Additionally, we have banned the activities of Okaigheles (Youth Leaders) in the Edo South Senatorial District of the State.

These were some of the decisions reached after the Security Council Meeting with Service Chiefs in the State, where we reviewed the security situation in Edo State since January 2024, with particular emphasis on the security activities in May.

Council has set up a special task force, headed by the Director of DSS, that will, starting tonight, review every cult-related occurrence in the state. We have declared full war on cultists and Okaigheles in Edo State.

After the meeting, we launched patrol Sienna buses and motorcycles to strengthen the State’s joint security operations”.

On Friday, Channels Television reported that “the Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, has vowed that the state government will collaborate with security agencies to flush out criminal gangs in the State.

According to Obaseki, the state government will not accept a similar incident that happened in the Okomu area where Okaigheles and militant groups shot at soldiers.

“The military has been of great support to our security efforts in Edo State. The Brigade Commander is a member of our State Security Council and they have provided tremendous backup and support to the other security agencies in the State,” Governor Obaseki said.

“Last week, we had an unfortunate incident in the Okomu area where militants and some community youths shot at some soldiers and fortunately there was no casualty. We are going after all those that were involved in the incident.

“We will not accept the level of arms build-up by cultists and Okaigheles in Edo State and Edo State Government wants to reiterate that with the backing of the Military, we will go after criminal gangs who are constituting a nuisance in Edo State and building up arms in our State to terrorize citizens.”

He added, “I thank the GOC for the visit, assurance, and support to our security efforts in Edo State, and assuring you that our government will always work closely with the military and other security agencies, and provide the needed support to all State and Federal security agencies to enable us to perform our duties as a government to protect lives and property of Edo citizens.”

On his part, the General Officer Commanding, 2 Division, Nigerian Army, Major General Obinna Onubogu, thanked the governor, noting, “I thank the governor for the frank discussion we had concerning security in Edo State. I am here to thank the governor for the support he has given to us in the discharge of our duties in safeguarding the federation, particularly the people in Edo State.”

He further noted, “We have had recent clashes where a few misguided youths have attacked our men. This is quite unacceptable. I have conveyed that to His Excellency. Going forward, we are hoping such incidents will not occur again and if it does occur, we will take decisive actions to stop all criminals who attempt to thwart the activities of the Army and other security agencies within Edo State.

“We will continue to work with the people and the State Government to ensure things remain calm in the State. I also visited the Oba of Benin where I also conveyed this message and he re-assured me that the people will work with us towards safety and security in the State.

“We are glad that all sectors in the State, be it government and traditional, are working towards the same purpose. We hope to see peace and safety continue in the State”, Channels Television report ends in quote.

Reacting the ban of Okaigheles, Barrister Jefferson Uwoghiren had said that: “Our traditional Okaighele can not be banned because we are all Igheles!

The government’s reported ban is directed at all the political Okaigheles who simply transmuted from CDA youth leaders to Okaigheles when the law setting up Private Property Protection banned their activities.

The Okaigheles of Edo South, especially from communities surrounding Benin City, with their private armies of well armed cretins, are unarguably the major causes of land insecurity, brigandry , assassinations, arsons, communual strifes, underdevelopments, lawlessness and unending litigations in Edo South of Edo State.

Working in close concerts with soulless lawyers, surveyors, security agents, judicial officers, and in facts, politicians, they are the cankerworms eating Benin Nation raw and in plain sights”, Jefferson Uwoghiren words reads and quoted verbatim.