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Former chairman of Etsako East Local Government Area of Edo State, Princess Benedicta Attoh, has raised the alarm over the worsening security situation in Okpekpe community, appealing to Gov Monday Okpebholo to urgently intervene to save the people.
In an appeal letter to the Governor on September 6, copies of which were sent to the Inspector-General of Police; the Edo State Commissioner of Police; the Director-General, Department of State Services (DSS); the General Officer Commanding, Nigerian Army; the Chairman, Etsako East Local Government Area and other relevant security agencies, the former council chairman drew attention to the worsening security situation in Okpekpe community, particularly along the Ebelle–Amughe and Ebelle–Uzanu roads and the surrounding communities.
She recalled that since November 2024, about 10 persons had reportedly lost their lives to the activities of bandits and kidnappers operating in and around the community, a situation she said was akin to a community under siege. She noted that the latest incident involved the abduction of three persons along Ebelle–Amughe Road and the eventual killing of two of the victims even after ransom was paid. “The kidnappers demanded a ransom of N30 million and N3 million was delivered, but tragically, despite the payment, two of the victims were killed, while the third escaped with serious gunshot wounds,” she stated.
She stressed that the situation had gone beyond kidnapping for ransom to sheer criminality and ruthlessness. She lamented that the people live in fear as farmers can no longer access their farms freely and the people are afraid to travel between communities.
She said: “I must confess that I am personally afraid to sleep in my own house because of the fear of a possible attack. If someone who has served her community and is familiar with the terrain can feel this vulnerable in her own home, one can only imagine the level of fear being experienced by ordinary residents, particularly women, children and the elderly.
“Your Excellency, we cannot continue like this. A community cannot function when its people are afraid to farm, travel and sleep in their own homes.
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“I, therefore, make an urgent and heartfelt appeal to Your Excellency to personally intervene and direct the relevant security agencies to take immediate and sustained action to secure Okpekpe and the Ebelle-Amughe and Ebelle–Uzanu corridors, as well as other vulnerable areas within and around the community.
She is calling for an immediate deployment of additional security personnel to Okpekpe and the affected road corridors; regular and sustained patrols along the Ebelle-Amughe and Ebelle-Uzanu roads and other identified kidnapping routes; a coordinated intelligence-led operation to identify, pursue and apprehend the bandits responsible for these attacks, immediate investigation into the recent killings, including the circumstances surrounding the ransom payment and subsequent deaths of two victims and strengthened collaboration between security agencies and local community structures to improve intelligence gathering and early warning, as well as a sustained security presence in the area rather than temporary deployments following each attack.
She appealed to Gov Okpebholo to treat the security situation in Okpekpe as an emergency and deploy every necessary resource at the disposal of the Edo State Government, in collaboration with the Federal security agencies, to reclaim the communities from the criminals.
“We have lost too many lives already. About 10 people have been slaughtered like chickens since November 2024.
We do not want to wait until more families are thrown into mourning before decisive action is taken. Our people want to return to their farms. Our children deserve to grow up without fear. Our roads must become safe again, and we must be able to sleep in our own homes without fear of being attacked,” she submitted.
