Archive May 12, 2025

In a renewed offensive against cultism and violent crime, the Edo State Governor, Monday Okpebholo, has vowed to intensify the demolition of buildings linked to cult groups.

He also threatened legal action against members of the Neo Black Movement.

The state government, in a statement released on Monday by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Fred Itua, said it has begun legal consultations aimed at prosecuting leaders of the group, following recent admissions by self-acclaimed members who publicly condemned the demolition of one of their alleged operational bases in Benin City.

“This decision is premised on public admission by self-acclaimed leaders of the group, who have openly identified themselves and condemned the lawful demolition of a building linked to their activities.

“By publicly aligning themselves with the structure and its usage, they have confirmed their association with the actions coordinated from the premises—thus paving the way for lawful prosecution,” the statement read.

According to the statement, the demolished building was not a mere structure but a hub for coordinating attacks across the Benin metropolis and other parts of the state.

It noted that the demolition action was based on actionable intelligence and carried out in full compliance with the law.

“No responsible government will watch helplessly as criminal enclaves flourish under its watch,” the statement added.

Governor Okpebholo has also demanded that the Neo Black Movement provide full disclosure on its claim of renovating six public schools since his assumption of office.

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The government has requested the group to submit the names and locations of the schools, documented evidence of the renovations, and any official approval obtained from the state.

“Failure to do so will result in immediate legal action for defamation, misrepresentation, and unauthorised interference in public infrastructure,” the governor warned.

In a further move to bolster security, the government announced plans to build a divisional police station on the site of the recently demolished cult-linked building.

The facility, it said, will serve as a deterrent to criminal activity and a symbol of the administration’s zero tolerance for cultism.

Governor Okpebholo reiterated his administration’s commitment to eradicating cultism from the state, stressing that more demolitions of properties associated with criminal gangs will follow.

“As the Chief Security Officer of the state, Governor Okpebholo will not sit back and watch innocent citizens killed by criminal gangs hiding under the guise of cult groups. It is the governor’s sworn responsibility to protect lives and property, and he is committed to executing that mandate decisively,” the statement read.

The governor further clarified that he has no past, present, or future affiliation with any cult group or clandestine organisation.

“Let it be made unequivocally clear: Edo State is not, and will never be, a haven for cultists. Anyone involved in cult-related activities is advised to cease and desist or relocate elsewhere. Edo will remain hostile ground for cultism and all its manifestations,” he declared.

Okpebholo noted in the statement that the Anti-Cultism Law, passed by the Edo State House of Assembly, remains in full effect and will continue to be enforced across the state.

The Federal Government has confirmed full payment of the sum of $3.4 billion loan received from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, confirmed this while briefing State House correspondents after the Federal Executive Council meeting at the State House, Abuja on Monday.

A former presidential candidate and activist, Omoyele Sowore, has dismissed the proposal by Professor Pat Utomi to establish a “shadow government,” calling the idea an ineffective symbolic gesture that lacks real-world impact on Nigeria’s pressing challenges.

Speaking on Inside Sources with Laolu Akande on Channels TV on Sunday, Sowore argued that the idea of a shadow cabinet was futile in a country where the existing government is itself opaque and largely unaccountable.

“Well, how do you replace a shadow government with another set of shadowy governments?” he asked rhetorically, criticising the concept of mimicking such democratic traditions, which is the practice in parliamentary systems like the United Kingdom.

“I would not begrudge anybody who thinks of solutions that can bring awareness to the people… But I do not think that setting up a government with names of people who call themselves a shadow government makes any difference.”

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Sowore, who has been a long-time advocate for radical democratic change, said Nigeria’s problems could not be solved with symbolic gestures.

He challenged the feasibility and utility of Utomi’s idea, which suggests creating an alternative governing structure to mirror the functions of the current administration led by President Bola Tinubu.

“What is the shadow government going to be doing? So, they’re supposed to provide an alternative to each of the existing government portfolios—the parastatals, the ministries, and departments. How does that work, really?

Apart from the fact that it sounds esoteric, nothing beyond the creation of that shadow government will have any impact on the situation that is affecting Nigeria today,” Sowore said.

The publisher emphasised that the current Nigerian government already operates as a “shadow government,” characterised by opacity, corruption, and a disconnect from the needs of ordinary citizens.

Creating another similar body, even in the name of accountability, he said, merely duplicates dysfunction.

“My attitude towards this is that the government in place is already a shadow government. So to now go and create another superstructure named shadow government—that’s not going to have any impact on what these guys are doing,” the former presidential candidate said.

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Sowore’s remarks come as Nigerians grapple with worsening economic conditions, deteriorating governance, and the lack of credible opposition voices.