…As over 500 cultists renounce membership, receive amnesty
Edo State Governor, Senator Monday Okpebholo, has issued a stern warning to cultists, declaring that even his own son would not be spared if found involved in cultism, as more than 500 members of various cult groups renounced their membership.
Okpebholo gave the warning on Monday in Benin during a mass renunciation ceremony organised by the Edo State Special Security Squad (EDSSS), where repentant cultists publicly abandoned their involvement in cult activities and were granted amnesty by the state government.
The governor said his administration would not tolerate criminality, regardless of the identity or status of those involved, insisting that protecting the lives of Edo residents remained his primary responsibility.
“You have chosen the right path. You have chosen to save your life. You have also chosen to remove tears from your family’s eyes,” he told the former cultists, describing their decision as a step towards building a safer society.
He added: “The oath I took is to protect Edo’s life. And this I must carry out to the letter on behalf of Edo people. Even if that person is my child, I won’t know at that moment.”
Okpebholo urged those who had renounced cultism to persuade their former associates to abandon the practice, warning that anyone apprehended for criminal activities would face the law.
“The remaining ones that have not changed, that still think they have the power, please tell them if they are caught, no mercy,” he said.
The governor also disclosed that he had President Bola Tinubu’s support in his campaign to rid Edo State of criminal activities.
“I will let you know today that I have the blessing of Mr President to make Edo crime-free,” he declared.
To encourage the reintegration of repentant cultists into society, Okpebholo directed them to submit their names and phone numbers for follow-up engagements, during which possible support for their future would be discussed.
He recalled the state’s security challenges before he assumed office, claiming that about 300 people had been killed within three to four months before his inauguration.
According to him, five people also died within five days after he took office, highlighting the urgency of addressing insecurity.
Calling for unity among residents, the governor insisted that cultism had no place in Edo, regardless of ethnic or social differences.
“There is no colour in Edo. So, if there is no colour in Edo, we are all brothers,” he said.
Also speaking, the Commissioner for Public Safety and Security, Festus Ebea, commended the former cultists for taking the decision to abandon the practice, describing them as potential agents of change.
Ebea, however, urged the governor to extend the state’s security campaign to drug dealers, arguing that the supply and consumption of hard drugs contributed to cultism and other criminal activities.
One of the former cultists, Isaac Owobu, from Edo Central Senatorial District, described cultism as worse than HIV and thanked the governor for giving members an opportunity to turn away from their past.
Owobu said some people who had abandoned their studies because of fears of reprisal attacks had returned to school and were pursuing master’s degrees in Ekpoma.
The Edo State Commissioner of Police, CP Patrick Daaor, also urged those still involved in cultism to take advantage of the renunciation initiative and embrace a new life.
He said the governor was concerned about the welfare of young people and did not want them to destroy their future through cult-related activities.
