Edo State Commissioner of Police, Monday Agbonika has announced the commencement of house to house arrest of people suspected or identified as members of a secret cult group in the South South geopolitical state of Nigeria.

The commissioner of police through the statement issued by the Edo State Police Command spokesperson, Moses Yamu a few days ago, said that 28 persons were recently arrested during a raid in the state early this month, and, 19 of them were implicated as members of secret cult group and charged to court after what the state police command described as professional screening.

In the statement, the Police said; “The Edo State Command has sustained its fight against crime through visibility policing, community engagements and sustained raids of criminal hideouts in the State.

On 4 June, 2025 between 16:00 hours and 22:00 hours, operatives of the Command carried out raids of criminal hideouts within Benin-City. During the raids, twenty-eight persons were arrested and professionally screened where nineteen of them found implicated, were charged to court.

In continuation of its fight against cultism, the Command has commenced the house-to-house arrests of identified cult members in the State to ensure that cultism is either eliminated or brought to its barest minimum.

Three suspects who were arrested from various locations have confessed to being members of the Eiye and Aye confraternities respectively. They have been arraigned before the court accordingly.

On this note, CP Monday Agbonika, fdc expresses confidence that the general public would have no fear of crimes as he warned all cult members to either denounce cultism and turn a new leaf, relocate from the State or face the full wrath of the law as contained in the Edo State Secret Cult and other related activities prohibition law.

The Command can be reached on the following lines: Control Room: 08037646272/08077773721, Public Complaints Bureau (PCB): 08150999335, Complaints Response Unit (CRU): 08100389992″.

Meanwhile, “the Edo State Commissioner of Police, CP Monday Agbonika, fdc on 28 May, 2025 summoned all Area Commanders/PMF Commanders/DPOs/Tactical Team Commanders etc for a briefing at the Police Officers’ Mess, Benin-City.

During the briefing, the Commissioner of Police commended the officers for not relenting in the discharge of their duties, as he attributed the successes recorded so far to their relentless efforts.

On the issue of unprofessional conduct, the CP warned all officers to lecture their men against acts unbecoming of Police officers, noting that zero-tolerance for unprofessionalism must be maintained.

On this note, the Command assures the public that it will continue to improve its service delivery with utmost professionalism”, Moses Yamu stated in a press release.

We had reported that the Edo State Governor, Monday Okpebholo has called for more stakeholders supports and actions towards ending secret cult related killings and other organised violent crimes in the state, stating that the aged long secret cult war in the South South state of Nigeria has driven away a lot of investors and as such, Edo State has been at a loss of one billion dollar every year, with statistics, according to the Governor showing that the natives of Edo State top the list of the highest diaspora remittances in Nigeria, but, over 95 percent of the natives divert the funds to other states to avoid secret cult violence in the state also known as the Heartbeat of the nation. 

We had reported that the Edo State Government led by Governor Monday Okpebholo has issued an Executive Order, blacklisting a government registered acclaimed sociocultural organisation, the Neo Black Movement, NBM as a violent organisation among those responsible for violent crimes of high rates of secret cult related homicide  killings in the state, and in a swift reaction, the President of the Neo Black Movement of Africa, NBM, Olorogun Ese Kakor while speaking with a panel of presenters at Arise News Television during the TV programme, accused the Governor, Monday Okpebholo of allegedly using members of the Black Axe Confraternity during his election, adding that the Governor never consulted with them to know if members of Black Axe Confraternity are also members of the Neo Black Movement, saying, the Governor is now attacking NBM because of Black Axe, stressing that, Black Axe Confraternity is a criminal organisation, insisting that, members of the confraternity are never members of the NBM, and shortly after the NBM President statement, large group of Youths in Edo State led a solidarity protest match to the Edo State Government House in Benin City to express their support and willingness to defend the government policies and actions to stop the massive destructions of lives and creation of young widows and high rates of fatherless children in the state due to secret cult activities; this, assessments of some of the pro government policy protesters indicated that some of them are people who may have identified themselves in the past as members of the Neo Black Movement and they also appeared to be people very loyal to one of the prominent leaders of the NBM, Anthony Adun aka Tony Kabaka who trend when he was interviewed about the activities of the NBM in a BBC documentary published by the British broadcasting service some years back.

We had repored that, in apparent anger, Edo State Government under the leadership of Governor Monday Okpebholo has issued a serious warning with a strong message sent to the President of the Neo Black Movement of Africa, NBM, Olorogun Ese Kakor that the Edo State Government has started consultations to enable it take more appropriate legal action against the Neo Black Movement, saying, the International Headquarters or Secretariat of the Movement situated AT Amagba area in Benin City that was demolished last month by the State Government, has been an enclave used for planning and execution of secret cult related killings by members of the Neo Black Movement the Governor also referred to and described as Black Axe secret cult, probably expressing more anger that the leadership and members of the Neo Black Movement had the courage to come out publicly to identify themselves with the demolished building, the governor said they will be made to face prosecution, this, the National President of the Neo Black Movement, Olorogun Ese Kakor while speaking in reaction to the demolished building on Arise News TV programme, said, the Movement is not Black Axe, emphasizing that Black Axe is a criminal organisation while the Neo Black Movement is a social cultural organisation that promote and engage in humanitarian services.

It would be recalled that we had reported that the Edo State Police Command of Nigeria Police Force has confirmed the arrest of 95 persons in connection with the killing of more than 15 people between April 25, 2025 and now in the renewed deadly and bloody apparent supremacy secret cult war in the state among members of the Black Axe Confraternity aka Aye, Maphite Confraternity aka Great Men and Eiye Confraternity aka Airlords which started with the killing of a physiotherapist, simply identified as Alex, and another individual at the University of Benin Teaching Hospital, UBTH back gate, Ugbowo, in Benin, with the Edo State Government led by Governor Monday Okpebholo launching a retaliatory war against businesses and individuals allegedly aiding secret cult killings in the state; thus, sealed off Eterno Hotel, planned to demolish the hotel owed by Peoples Democratic Party, PDP Chieftain, Honourable Matthew Iduoriyekemwen, who was the Director General of Asue/Ogie Campaign Organisation in the last Governorship election in the state, on the ground that a particular secret cult group members gathered at the Eterno Hotel to plan their recent killings in the state, and in addition, the Edo State governor also sealed off and marked a residential building for demolition also owed by a PDP Chieftain, Francis Inegbineki.