The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has blamed the recent killing of northern travelers in Uromi, Edo State, on what it describes as the failure of Governor Monday Okpebholo’s administration to address security concerns.
In a statement issued on Monday, the PDP alleged that the state’s deteriorating security situation was a direct result of government inaction, despite prior warnings about a breakdown in security structures.
The party recalled that on February 5, just a month before the attack, members of the Edo State Security Network (ESSN) staged a public protest in Benin City, expressing a lack of confidence in their commander, retired Commissioner of Police Friday Ibadin. The protesting operatives cited escalating cases of kidnappings and killings, as well as alleged infiltration of the ESSN by unregulated vigilante groups.
The protest occurred a day after Governor Okpebholo reportedly removed Ibadin and appointed Assistant Commander Balogun in his place. However, within 24 hours, the decision was reversed, reinstating Ibadin and sparking further unrest within the security outfit.
During the protest, an ESSN operative, Imade Eweka, accused Ibadin of politicizing the network and deploying loyalists to extort money from residents.
“Commander Ibadin is playing politics. He has been deploying his loyalists to extort money from innocent citizens, undermining the integrity of our mission. Meanwhile, we are unarmed, unpaid, and our members are dying during rescue operations,” she said.
Eweka and other operatives also alleged that Ibadin had disarmed trained officers and replaced them with members of unauthorized vigilante groups. They claimed that insecurity had worsened, particularly in Edo Central, where both the governor and Ibadin hail from.
On March 29, vigilantes in Uromi, whom the government itself labeled as “illegal,” were implicated in the killing of travelers reportedly heading to the North from Port Harcourt for the Sallah holiday. The victims were allegedly mistaken for kidnappers and killed extrajudicially.
Following the incident, the Edo State chapter of the PDP released a strongly worded statement, condemning the governor for failing to act on earlier security warnings.
“The recent government classification of the perpetrators as an illegal vigilante group only further exposes the absence of a coherent security framework under the current administration and a continuation of the blame game this government has come to master,” said PDP Publicity Secretary, Chris Nehikhare.
He further criticized the government’s response, stating:
*“The knee-jerk, Abuja-ordered suspension of CP Friday Ibadin (Rtd) as Commander of the Edo State Security Corps is a clear admission that the state’s security structure has collapsed. The February 5 mutiny by members of the Edo Security Corps was an early warning sign of deep-rooted inefficiencies, yet Senator Monday Okpebholo chose to ignore it. Now, Edo people and Nigerians are paying the price of Okpebholo’s incompetence with their lives.
It is particularly distressing that a vigilante group, operating without oversight or proper registration, was allowed to take up arms and engage in extrajudicial killings. This is an indictment of the Okpebholo administration’s failure to regulate, train, and coordinate security efforts in the state.”*
The incident has sparked outrage, with calls for a comprehensive overhaul of Edo State’s security apparatus to prevent further tragedies.
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