By John Mayaki

For once, the argument was not about politics. Not about party colours. Not about who won the last election. Not about who controls what structure. It was about a menace that had become a common enemy of all decent people: kidnapping and cult-related violence.

When Edo State Governor, Senator Monday Okpebholo declared war on the merchants of fear, many expected the familiar chorus of criticism that often greets every bold governmental action in Nigeria. Instead, something unusual happened. The applause came from all corners.

From the pulpits to television studios to market squares, from business circles to political gatherings, the message was remarkably similar: at last, someone appeared determined to confront the criminals who had turned parts of society into theatres of terror.

The governor’s decision to seek the establishment of a special court for kidnapping and related offences struck a chord with many who have long complained about the slow pace of justice. To citizens weary of endless adjournments and legal technicalities that often seem to favour criminals over victims, the proposal represented a government willing to match tough decisions with institutional action.

Commentators across social media platforms welcomed the initiative. Great men of God, analysts on national television programmes weighed in. Public affairs commentators, including Dr. Reuben Abati, examined the implications of stronger legal and judicial responses to violent crime while urging other governors to emulate Okpebholo. Business leaders, traditional rulers, community stakeholders and political actors joined the conversation, many expressing support for measures aimed at restoring public confidence in security and the rule of law.

The reason was not difficult to understand; kidnapping is perhaps one of the most democratic forms of criminality in Nigeria. It does not discriminate between the rich and the poor, the politician and the trader, the professor and the farmer. Its victims cut across every social divide. Every successful effort against it therefore attracts public sympathy because every citizen understands the danger.

The arrest of suspected kidnappers beyond Edo State’s borders further reinforced the governor’s repeated vow that criminals would find no sanctuary wherever they choose to hide. The message was simple: geography would no longer be a shield against justice.

Of course, speeches do not defeat crime. Declarations do not dismantle criminal networks. Laws, institutions, intelligence gathering and sustained enforcement do. But leadership often begins with a signal; a clear indication that government understands the gravity of a problem and possesses the political will and courage to confront it.

That signal appears to be what many Nigerians saw and why the world stood up for Okpebholo.

While some accused public officials for frequently looking away while criminals grow bolder, Okpebholo’s firmness naturally attracts attention. And when that firmness is directed at those who profit from blood, fear and lawlessness, public support becomes even easier to find.

It is our prayers that this momentum is sustained. The public enthusiasm that greeted the anti-kidnapping measures must ultimately be matched by convictions secured through due process, safer communities, and a measurable reduction in violent crime.

For now, however, Governor Okpebholo has achieved something increasingly rare in Nigeria’s often polarised public space: he has found an issue capable of uniting people across political and social divides.

The world may not agree on many things. But on the need to confront kidnappers, cultists and other enemies of public peace, it appears to have stood firmly with Okpebholo.