Reaction as Govt keeps silent after gunmen killed eight Civil Defence operatives

The Edo State government has remained silent following a series of violent attacks by kidnappers that resulted in the death of eight Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) personnel and the abduction of several others.

More than 24 hours after the incidents, there has been no official statement from the governor’s office.

The attacks took place on Friday, September 5, 2025.

At about 4:30 p.m., passengers of a New Edo Line Transport Company bus were abducted along the Sobe-Afuze-Auchi road in Owan West Local Government Area.

Later that evening, at approximately 10:00 p.m., a Chinese expatriate was kidnapped at the BUA Cement Company in Okpella, Etsako East Local Government Area. In the same area, eight NSCDC officers were killed by the assailants.

The government’s silence has drawn heavy criticism from citizens and civil society groups.

There have been no official words of sympathy for the bereaved families or those injured and receiving treatment in local hospitals.

This is not the first time the government has been criticized for a delayed response to security crises.

Reports indicate that the governor waited two weeks before speaking on a similar incident on February 22, 2025, where suspected Ijaw militias attacked communities in Ovia South-West Local Government Area, killing over 27 cocoa farmers.

In response to the latest attacks, the Edo Civil Society Organisations (EDOCSO) released a statement urging the government to act immediately.

Signed by Assistant Secretary-General Aliyu Umweni, the statement called on Governor Okpebholo to focus on securing the lives of Edo residents rather than “the 2027 presidential elections.”

EDOCSO also demanded that the state government revive the dismantled CCTV monitoring system and procure high-tech equipment for a specialized security squad to combat the kidnappers.

The group emphasized that citizens “desire to be protected from the activities of the marauding kidnappers who seem to have laid a siege in different parts of the state.”

“The most troubling incidents which took place on the 6th of September, 2025 wherein eight (8) personnel of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corp got killed and a Chinese national abducted by the daredevil kidnappers and the abduction of all passengers on a bus belonging to the state government transport company is one too many.

“There have been reports of kidnapping activities in Orhionmwon, Ovia, Uhunmwonde, Akoko-edo, Auchi, Ikpoba Okha, Edo Central and parts of Oredo where the seat of government is domiciled.

“All our neighbouring states have intensified efforts in pursuing the kidnappers out of their territories thereby making Edo State their safe haven for their activities.

“The state governor should at this time bother less about the 2027 elections and concentrate more on securing the lives of Edo people with the monthly security votes being collected.

“The Nigeria Police Force should rejig its operations and focus more on violent crimes rather than the numerous road blocks mounted in short distances within Benin City metropolis which has become a point of extortion and intimidation of citizens.

“The state government and the security agencies should take actions in securing the release of those abducted by kidnappers and ensure no further activities of the kidnappers should be heard in Edo state.

“High-tech equipment should be procured and a special squad trained to go after these kidnappers”, it said.

The group has threatened to mobilize members and residents of Edo State for a protest if the state government fails to take decisive action on insecurity within 48 hours.

Separately, the Edo State Civil Society Coalition for Human Rights urged the Federal Government to immediately declare a state of emergency on insecurity in the state.

In a statement signed by Coordinator General Marxist Kola Edokpayi and Secretary-General Aghatise Raphael, the coalition called for a joint strike force of the military, police, citizens, and local hunters to flush out kidnappers, terrorists, and other criminals from Edo forests.

The group criticized political leaders in the state for “playing politics with human lives” and stressed the need for justice for victims, including slain Civil Defence officers, abducted seminarians, commuters, doctors, farmers, and community leaders.

It further emphasized that security must be rebuilt from the grassroots through collaboration with communities, faith groups, and civil society organizations, but opposed any return to the neighborhood watch system introduced under former Governor Adams Oshiomhole.

“Edo State has become a tragic theatre of insecurity, a landscape where fear rules and the lives of ordinary citizens are treated with shocking disregard.

“From the forests of Odighi in Ovia North- East to the outskirts of Ologbo in Ikpoba Okha, from Auchi, Etsako West to Abudu, Orhionmwon local government areas the shadow of kidnapping and violent crime has fallen across all three senatorial districts.

“The relentless surge in abductions, ambushes, and killings has brought the state to its knees, leaving citizens to wonder: who, if anyone, is truly in charge?

“On 5th September 2025, eight brave Civil Defence officers were brutally murdered in Agenebode, and a Chinese National abducted. On 6th September 2025, a full 18-seater Edo Line bus was hijacked and all passengers kidnapped.

“Young Catholic seminarians were recently seized from their training grounds. The young seminarians have spent more than 50 days in captivity, the Government and security agencies have not deemed it fit to secure their release unhurt.

“Days earlier, medical doctors were abducted along the Benin–Auchi Road, farmers were taken from their farmlands in Esan, and a respected community leader was snatched at gunpoint in Ekpoma. In Akoko Edo, Chief Balogun was kidnapped.

“These are not isolated tragedies. They are proof that from farmers to priests, commuters to professionals, no one is safe.

“The fundamental question on the lips of every Edolite is this: Where is the Chief Security Officer of the state, Governor Monday Okpebholo, where is the Commissioner of Police, Edo State Command, where is the Director of State Security Service, where is the Brigade Commander, of 4th Brigade and other heads of security agencies? And what exactly are their plans to quell this raging menace?

“The Constitution is unambiguous: the security and welfare of the people is the primary purpose of government. Yet in Edo today, this duty feels reduced to a talking point, a mere afterthought buried under political calculations.

“The governor’s purported silence on this matter is deafening. With a new administration in place, the people expected a decisive break from the failures of the past. Instead, what they see is the same old script of ineffectiveness.

“Has the Governor chosen to focus on consolidating political power and delivering on partisan promises like the pledge of “2.5 million votes for Tinubu in 2027” at the expense of his foremost duty to protect the lives of Edo people? Are citizens’ lives now collateral damage in a political game?.

“Edo people are not demanding miracles. They are demanding competence. They are not asking for speeches. They are demanding a concerted plan to end Kidnapping.

“Until a credible, transparent, and actionable security strategy is unveiled and implemented, distrust will deepen and fear will spread. The people’s mandate was not given for Edo to become a playground for kidnappers and killers.

“Edo people will not bow to kidnappers and cultists. We refuse to be ruled by fear. If urgent action is not taken, peace, progress, and governance in our state will collapse entirely. The time for gestures is over.

“The Chief Security Officer and heads of security agencies must act now beyond rhetoric and prove, through bold and practical measures, that the lives of Edo People are their highest priority. Anything less is a betrayal of trust given to His Excellency by the electorate who are now victims of kidnapping and killings.

“We stand with victims, their families, and all Edo residents trapped in this reign of terror. The time to act is now”, the group stated.