The Edo State Government says it has demolished a building in Amagba, Oredo Local Government Area of the state, where two members of the Aye confraternity were arrested in connection with recent cult killings in the state.
Patrick Ebojele, the spokesperson to Governor Monday Okpebholo of Edo State, disclosed this in a statement issued on Thursday in Benin.
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Mr Ebojele said that seven people were allegedly linked with the recent cult killings in the state.
He disclosed that two suspected Aye cult members have been arrested, while five are on the run.
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He explained that the demolition was carried out by the Special Security Squad codenamed “Operation Flush Out Cultists and Kidnappers in Edo”, led by the principal security officer to the governor.
According to him, the anti-cultism law in the state will be implemented to the last letter to ensure cultism becomes a thing of the past in the state.
“Governor Okpebholo has given that mandate, and it must be followed thoroughly, no matter who is involved.
“No one is above the law. Those who escaped arrest have been declared wanted,” he stated.
“The Special Security Squad also sealed off a residence at Upper Uwa area of Benin, the last known residence of Etiosa Akhiombare Joshua, also known as Baba Josh.
“Joshua is a suspected member of the Maphite Confraternity, and mastermind and financier of last week’s killing at Wire Road,” he said.
Cult-related attacks and killings have compounded the security challenge in Edo.
Gunmen in September last year abducted 29 passengers on a highway in the state. The police later rescued 16 of the abducted passengers.
The police said in 2024 that the spate of cult violence and the proliferation of arms in the state were worrisome.
The then-Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo, while announcing a ban on the activities of Okaigheles (youth leaders) in Edo South District, June 2024, in a renewed effort to tackle the menace, said the state at some point lost 150 people in five months to cult-related clashes.
Mr Obaseki’s successor, Mr Okpebholo, said in November 2024 that the state loses over $1 billion worth of investments annually because of cult-related violence.
Mr Okpebholo, just like his predecessor, has declared war on cultism, but the government’s efforts seem to yield little or no success as the killings have continued.
(NAN)
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