BENIN CITY, NIGERIA — In an exceptionally fierce and unprecedented escalation of state rhetoric against rampant violent crime, the Executive Governor of Edo State, Monday Okpebholo, has issued a definitive threat to publicly execute convicted kidnappers and cultists. The Governor declared that his administration is prepared to implement the absolute maximum penalty of public capital punishment to permanently crush the wave of abductions, gang-related violence, and criminal syndicates that have terrorized urban and rural communities across the state in recent times.
Governor Okpebholo made these highly combustible declarations while addressing a gathering of media correspondents at the Edo State Police Command Headquarters. The briefing was organized during a formal parade of suspected kidnappers who had been successfully apprehended during a high-stakes, multi-agency tactical operation. Standing alongside top security chiefs, the Governor outlined an aggressive judicial blueprint that includes the immediate establishment of specialized tribunals designed to fast-track the prosecution of individuals arraigned for kidnapping, armed banditry, and cult-related activities.
According to the state chief executive, the planned special courts will be heavily empowered to bypass bureaucratic bottlenecks, ensuring that cases are thoroughly tried and concluded within a strict timeframe of two to three weeks. Governor Okpebholo emphasized that upon the delivery of a guilty verdict by the tribunal, he will waste no time in exercising his constitutional power to sign the execution warrants, clearing the way for highly visible capital punishment designed to serve as an unyielding psychological deterrent to the criminal underworld.
We are not joking in this administration, and we are working tirelessly day and night to ensure that the sovereign land of Edo State is made completely safe for our law-abiding citizens, investors, and residents, Governor Okpebholo stated emphatically during the televised parade. I want to use this medium to appeal directly to our young people to stay far away from the destructive paths of cultism and kidnapping because it will ultimately take you nowhere but to an early grave. Now, we are going to set up a special court specifically to try kidnappers and cultists. Within two to three weeks, we would be completely done with the judicial process, and I will personally sign the warrants. For your execution and hanging, I will take you directly to the Ring Road roundabout in the heart of Benin City, so that the entire Edo populace will see your end. I would not have any single regret about enforcing this, so please, do not mistake my simplicity or calm demeanor for weakness.
The Governor’s intense warnings were delivered while recounting a particularly brazen kidnapping incident that occurred at a bustling local market within the state capital of Benin City. According to the Governor, upon receiving intelligence regarding the daylight abduction, he immediately established direct communication with the state Commissioner of Police, issuing an uncompromising executive order for security agencies to deploy all available technological and human intelligence resources to track down and neutralize the perpetrators.
Detailing the rapid operational response, Okpebholo revealed that the state police commissioner, who was attending an official engagement in the federal capital territory of Abuja at the time, aborted his itinerary and returned to Benin City immediately to personally coordinate the counter-offensive. The resulting security sweep yielded rapid successes, culminating in the tracking down of the gang's hideout and the arrest of several primary suspects, alongside the recovery of a substantial amount of ransom money and lethal weaponry.
Something very terrible happened on Sunday inside a market, and I immediately called the Commissioner of Police, the Governor explained to the press. I told him explicitly that whoever committed that audacious crime of kidnapping inside Benin City must be hunted down and arrested without delay. The commissioner actually was in Abuja, but he returned to Benin City immediately to lead the charge. Before you know it, those guys have been caught by our gallant forces. You can see the cash and other incriminating items recovered from them. In the process of the arrest, there was a heavy exchange of gunshots; one of the suspects died from his injuries, two are still at large, but one is standing right here today.
Governor Okpebholo showered extensive praise on the joint efforts of the Nigeria Police Force, the Nigerian Army, and the Department of State Services for their synergistic approach to combating insecurity. He attributed the current wave of successful operations to a renewed national directive from the presidency, which has revitalized the morale and operational efficiency of state security architectures across Nigeria.
You can clearly see what is happening on the ground, that the police, the army, and the DSS are working in perfect harmony, the Governor noted. The President is actively putting them to work, and that is precisely why we are getting these tangible, positive results today. Look at the sheer number of hardened kidnappers that have been arrested in this land recently. I can assure you that they will never find any peace of mind or hiding place within the borders of Edo State.
He concluded his briefing by issuing a final, stern warning to individuals who actively participate in abductions, as well as landlords, informants, and logistics providers who offer cover or financial support to criminal groups. He insisted that the state’s intelligence network has been heavily upgraded to identify and bring all co-conspirators to justice.
For me, my message to them is simple: whoever harbors the thought or mind to kidnap any human being in this state should know that you cannot do it and go scot-free. There is no crime that will be committed under my watch that the perpetrator will not be swiftly arrested. Whoever is supporting, feeding, or aiding you to do it, please, you have to stop immediately because we are completely ready for you, he warned.
Kidnapping for ransom has remained one of Nigeria’s most complex and persistent internal security challenges over the past decade. Highly armed criminal syndicates and opportunistic gangs have continually operated across several states, heavily targeting commercial travelers, university students, vulnerable farmers, and prominent urban residents for abduction, a crisis that has prompted governors to adopt increasingly radical legislative and administrative measures to safeguard their territories.
