The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has accused Governor Monday Okpebholo of failing to address the deepening security crisis in Edo State, linking his administration’s inaction to the recent killing of innocent northern travellers in Uromi.
In a statement on Monday, PDP Publicity Secretary, Chris Nehikhare, described the tragedy as a direct result of the governor’s inability to manage the state’s security structure.
He also criticised the administration’s response, calling it “a continuation of the blame game this government has come to master.”
“The knee-jerk, Abuja-ordered suspension of the Commander of the Edo State Security Corps, CP Friday Ibadin (Rtd), is a clear admission by the government that the security architecture of the state has failed,” Nehikhare said.
The crisis, according to PDP, had been brewing for months. The party recalled that on February 5, operatives of the Edo State Security Network (ESSN) staged a rare public protest in Benin City, passing a vote of no confidence in their commander, Ibadin, over rising insecurity, kidnappings, and alleged infiltration by unregulated vigilante groups.
The protest came just a day after Okpebholo removed Ibadin and appointed Assistant Commander Balogun as his replacement—only to reverse the decision within 24 hours, reinstating Ibadin and fueling internal revolt.
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According to Daily post an ESSN operative, Imade Eweka, who spoke during the February protest, accused Ibadin of politicising security operations.
“Commander Ibadin is playing politics. He has been deploying his loyalists to extort money from innocent citizens, undermining the integrity of our mission,” she said.
She further alleged that members of the security corps were left unarmed and unpaid while being forced to combat criminals.
On March 29, vigilantes operating in Uromi—whom the government later classified as “illegal”—were implicated in the killing of travellers reportedly heading north from Port Harcourt for the Sallah holiday. The victims were said to have been wrongly profiled as kidnappers before being executed.
Reacting to the incident, Nehikhare said, “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.”
He added, “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.”
The PDP maintained that the governor’s failure to properly regulate, train, and coordinate security efforts had left the state vulnerable to lawlessness, resulting in tragedie slike the Uromi killings.
