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Edo State Governor Monday Okpebholo has recalled his early involvement in Christian ministry, saying he started casting out demons when he was about 17 or 18 years old.
Okpebholo made the disclosure in a video circulating on X on Tuesday while speaking at the newly inaugurated Winlos Centre owned by Pastor Ohis and Anwili Ojeikere.
The governor said seeing young people gathered in worship reminded him of his own early years in Christian ministry.
“When I see young ones standing in the presence of God, I remember at the age of 17/18, I’ve also started casting out demons,” Okpebholo said.
He linked those early experiences to his approach to tackling insecurity in Edo State, particularly the fight against cultism and related violence.
“So fighting insecurity, most especially cultism, is not a new thing to me. It’s something that has been happening,” the governor said.
Okpebholo also recalled the influence of the late Archbishop Benson Idahosa on his Christian journey, mentioning the prominent Pentecostal preacher and founder of the Church of God Mission International.
“I remember Archbishop Idahosa,” he said.
Idahosa was a major figure in the growth of Pentecostal Christianity in Edo State and Nigeria, with his ministry becoming particularly influential across the country.
Okpebholo has continued to make insecurity and cult-related activities a major focus of his administration, particularly in relation to their impact on young people.
His latest comments therefore linked his personal experience in Christian ministry as a teenager with his administration’s stated efforts to confront cultism and insecurity across Edo State.
