Edo State Governor, Monday Okpebholo, has warned residents against recruiting criminals from outside the state to carry out kidnappings and other violent crimes, saying such actions are worsening insecurity and undermining ongoing security efforts.
Okpebholo gave the warning on Wednesday while speaking at the 2026 Ministers’ Conference organised by the Edo State chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in Benin City.
He said insecurity remains a concern in the state, but alleged that some individuals were deliberately exaggerating incidents and spreading false information on social media to discredit his administration.
According to him, investigations by security agencies have revealed that some kidnappings and violent crimes are being facilitated by local collaborators who hire armed gangs from outside the state.
“Do you know one painful thing? Our people are now going outside Edo to recruit criminals to help them do the job. They will kidnap somebody and hand the victim over to them in the bush,” he said.
The governor expressed concern over what he described as the involvement of some residents in criminal activities, noting that individuals with no visible source of income were suddenly living lavish lifestyles.
“Tomorrow, you will see them driving expensive cars and building houses. How are they getting these things? They will tell you they are Yahoo boys,” he added.
Okpebholo urged religious leaders not to intervene in criminal cases, insisting that his administration would not tolerate interference in the prosecution of suspects.
“Pastors, if you hear that I have arrested somebody, don’t come to beg me,” he said.
He admitted that Edo is not completely free of insecurity but said the situation was being exaggerated by political opponents.
“All of this is just to bring this government down. It is not that we are free, but not in the way they are portraying it,” he said.
The governor assured residents that security agencies were working to curb criminality and prevent armed groups from gaining ground in the state.
ADVERT –>
UPDATE NEWS:
Nigerians can now invest ₦2.5 million on premium domains and profit about ₦17-₦25 million . All earnings paid in US Dollars . Rather than wonder,
click here to find out how it works .
Join Daily Trust WhatsApp Community For Quick Access To News and Happenings Around You.
SPONSOR AD
–>
window.googletag = window.googletag || {cmd: []};
googletag.cmd.push(function() {
googletag.defineSlot(‘/113471580/dailytrust.com_300_600_article_right’, [‘fluid’, [300, 600]], ‘div-gpt-ad-1669708905704-0’).addService(googletag.pubads());
googletag.pubads().enableSingleRequest();
googletag.enableServices();
});
window.googletag = window.googletag || {cmd: []};
googletag.cmd.push(function() {
googletag.defineSlot(‘/113471580/dailytrust_article_bottom’, [[640, 360], [468, 60], [400, 300], [728, 90], [300, 250]], ‘div-gpt-ad-1670932839695-0’).addService(googletag.pubads());
googletag.pubads().enableSingleRequest();
googletag.enableServices();
});
This news development was originally reported by our media partner DailyTrust News .
