By Ozioruva Aliu

In the last 10 years, a conservative estimate of no less than 100 young men in Edo State have been killed due to cult related clashes, with many cut short in their prime.

The presence of cultists in the state has become a harrowing experience to residents as their distasteful activities are no longer hidden.

In some areas of Benin City, cult groups dominate street corners, and families are split, with brothers and cousins affiliated with rival groups. It is estimated, though unverified, that two out of every five males in the state may have cult affiliations.

Some cultists are now blending their activities with internet fraud, further complicating the state’s security architecture.

This is even made worse by the fact that in some areas in Benin City, there are particular cult groups dominating a section of a street and another dominating another section of the same street.

Just a few years ago, a senior official of the last administration who, lamented the situation, could not hide his obvious frustration that he publicly told a gathering that “it is a shame the level they have taken this thing to. Before now, everything ended in the campuses. In fact, once you are able to get out of the gate of your campus, the issue ends until you get back to school. That is why when we come back, we drop our colors and mingle until we get back to school.”

He fully supported the efforts of the administration to check the menace of cultism, which did not work.
Until last Christmas celebration, every December was a period for clashes and killings in addition to any other time of the year.

Laws

But for the first time in many years, the state witnessed a Christmas in 2024 without a cult war. This is because when Governor Monday Okpebholo was sworn in on November 12, 2024, he was said to have told a group in a meeting that what he detests most is cultism and thuggery and promised that he was going to go all out in putting a stop to it.

To put an end to cult rivalries, in January, the governor, through the House of Assembly, repelled the Edo State Secret Cult (Prohibition) Law of 2018 and replaced with the a new Secret Cult and Similar Activities (Prohibition) Law of 2025 which introduced stiffer penalties for individuals involved in cut-related activities, their sponsors and those who harbour them.

Part of the law, particularly Section 12, prescribes death sentences for any cultist whose actions result in the death of another person. Also, if a cultist assaults, injures, or destroys property in his or her practices of cult activities, he or she faces 21 years imprisonment without an option of fine and the government would confiscate and demolish the property of the convicted person.

Legal analysts say this new law aligns with Nigeria’s Criminal and Penal Codes.
The law also prescribes various punishments for sponsors of cultists and those who harbor them.

Amnesty for cultists

Despite the stringent laws on cultism now existing, the governor, apparently miffed by the volume of people involved in cultism, a few days ago, promised amnesty to secret cult members urging them to renounce while those in possession of illegal arms and ammunition should surrender them to authorities.

Okpebholo made this known on Wednesday while meeting with the leaders of Obagie, Oke-Oroma, and Amagba communities over land and insecurity concerns in the state capital.

The communities and other neighboring areas have been penciled down for the new city, but the areas are also notorious for cult related activities and violent clashes.

While restating his administration’s resolve to develop the proposed new city around the communities, the governor said a technical committee will soon be announced to handle the restitution of cult members and criminally minded youths in a bid to reduce the menace of violent crime including kidnapping.

A major component of the amnesty program for such youths, the governor said, would include skills acquisition and empowerment programmes so that they can be useful to themselves and society in the long run.

He further assured the community leaders of his support to bring about lasting peace in their communities, especially as the government embarks on the development of the new city in their domain.

According to him, “peace will be restored to all restive communities in the state including Obagie, Oke-oroma and Amagba in Benin city.

Okpebholo restates commitment to end cultism, caution youths on involvement

The governor, on Thursday, restated his administration’s commitment to fighting cultism, kidnapping, and other crimes in the state, insisting that the demolition of criminal hideouts would continue.

At an interactive session with youths across the 18 local government areas at the New Festival Hall in Government House, he emphasised that his administration would not spare criminals in the state.

He said, “We will fight cultism to a standstill, and if that is the only achievement for me as governor of Edo State, I will be satisfied. If you have a kidnapper as a brother or friend, ask him to leave your house, or else you will soon be homeless, as demolition of kidnappers’ hideouts will continue in the state.”

The governor assured that his administration would pay double for every weapon returned under the amnesty program for cultists, which is aimed at ensuring peace and unity in the state. He said: “I will pay double for every gun returned by cultists who embrace the amnesty program.

“We must keep Edo safe and deal with the pressing issues facing the state,” he emphasized. If not, investors will not come to invest in Edo State.”

He also commended the Chief Judge of Edo State for supporting the fight against criminality and acknowledged that tough strategies must be employed to make progress.

“We all must collaborate to keep Edo safe,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Chairman of the National Youths Council of Nigeria, NYCN, Edo State chapter, Moses Joseph, who commended the governor for inviting Edo youths for an interaction to solve challenges facing the youths, said the interactive session is a good way to solve the challenges facing the youths of Edo State. According to him, it shows that the governor is a listening governor and father to all.

The youths, who appealed to the governor to talk to security agencies to stop extorting innocent Edo youths, also urged the police to follow the rule of law and not take the law into their hands.

IYC backs amnesty

The Elders Council, Western Zone of the Ijaw Youth Congress, IYC, also backed the governor’s amnesty initiative and urged its members who are involved to seize the opportunity to be reintegrated back into society.

A statement by the Council’s Chairman and Secretary Razak Amatoru and Amb Andrew Igiri, commended the governor for the initiative which they believe would check violence in the state and also appealed that they should be made to become part of the federal government’s amnesty programme.

“We urge the governor to as a matter of urgency perfect his plans to engage them and include them into the federal government amnesty programme, we as leaders will join him to see that all our youths that fall into this category are properly carried effectively just as we did during the federal government amnesty programme in 2008 through 2009,” the statement added.